Good’ay mates!
Great hockey game last night. It is so nice to have some of my favourite Canadian players all on the same team!
I received a great response to one of my answers in yesterday’s FAQ post.
Someone asked me what size I am and I responded, ‘Size Healthy’
Since I recovered from disordered eating, I have tried to stay away from numbers. I never liked the number on clothing. It is so inconsistent and it varies so much by the store. I could walk into a clothing store and leave upset because I wasn’t the size I thought I should be. Some stores have vanity sizing and in some stores the clothing runs really small. You just can’t win!
I think it is important to realize that sometimes the number really is just a number. The number on my clothing does not reflect how happy I am. When I was struggling the most with my eating disorder and when I was the smallest in body size, I was also the most unhappy I have ever been. A small number on one’s clothing does not necessarily equal happiness.
The tag on my pants now reads healthy because I know that I am being good to my body and that is all that I need. I know that the size my body is at today, is the size that it should be. I eat when I am hungry and I stay active and challenge my fitness. My confidence has also gone way up since I started being nice to myself and not expect perfection.
I thought it would be a really fun idea to write this message on my pants!
I took a black permanent marker and went to town. It was actually really liberating and fun…
Size Healthy Contest:
I thought it would be fun to have a little contest today!
My challenge to you is to take a permanent marker, write ‘size healthy’ on your clothing tag(s)!
TO ENTER:
1) Email the picture to me: angela [at] ohsheglows.com. Make sure the subject says SIZE HEALTHY CONTEST.
OR
2) Post about it on your blog and email me the link to your post: angela [at] ohsheglows.com. Make sure the subject says SIZE HEALTHY CONTEST.
The prize:
THREE lucky people will receive a gift certificate worth $15 CAD for Glo Bars!!! Draw will be random.
Contest ends: Friday Feb 19th, 2010 at 8pm EST.
I’m going to have a big size healthy blow out post after the contest is over featuring your pictures!
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I’m curious about your thoughts on these questions:
- Do you think there is too much pressure on women today to attain that size 0 or even 00?
- What do you think about vanity sizing?
- Have you ever been asked by someone what size you are?
The next time you are asked what size you are…you can say with a big grin on your face ‘SIZE HEALTHY!’ :)
This is great. I am in!
I think the pressure to be thin is terrible. i’ve struggled with anorexia for years and still struggle. That weight on the scale is EVIL!! I’m definitely going to do this I love the idea angela its great.
I’m pregnant for the first time….with TWINS (totally natural twins) and I’m just now starting to grow bigger which is slightly stressful. Instead of “size healthy” I might adopt “size pregnant” instead because I certainly won’t be this size for long! I like the idea, though, and have actually cut size tags out of my clothes for a long time. However, it’s come back to bite me. Depending on the brand, I wear different sizes. And when I want to remember what I size I wear in a particular brand (for online ordering purposes), I’m outta luck! Maybe keep a master list of brands and sizes under lock and key for online order purchases only.
I will definitely be marking my clothes as “size healthy”! I love your challenge. I’ve actually dreaded shopping in the past because I didn’t know if the size I’d fit into would be the size I wanted to be… but I think I’m slowly letting go of that :)
My sister is a natural size 0 and she HATES IT! Everyone is always going on and on to her about how she needs to eat, and they’re always asking if she’s anorexic (which she’s not; she eats like a horse!!). I’ve learned that thinness does NOT equal happiness from her. She desperately wants to gain weight, saying she’s too thin!
I don’t think anyone has asked my size, but I did have a girl ask me how much I weighed once. When I told her, she responded by saying, “Oh my god, really, that much?? I thought you weighed a lot less!” Can you believe that?? I was like, sheesh, that was rude… sorry for having muscle weight :P
What an absolutely FANTASTIC idea !!!!
This is a beautiful way to look at sizing. I know that sizing is completely messed up! Especially with designer jeans. I can be a 1 and then a 4 all in the same day! Does not make any sense. Size is not important, it’s how you look and feel in your body :) Great job I love it!
What a great post – I am absolutely “re-sizing” all of my clothes tonight. I have definitely been asked what size I am before and it’s so uncomfortable, but I usually just say it doesn’t really matter and change the subject. Next time I’m definitely saying Size Healthy!!
Let me just start by saying that I discovered this website just recently and it has become one of my favorites! It is very motivating to see your dedication and strength! Currently, I am training for a marathon and it is helpful for me to visit the site for motivation-so thank you Angela. I will say I try not to be bothered by sizing in stores, but it can be discouraging when you need to grab 2-3 of a shirt or a pair of pants to try on because sizing is so whacky. Love the size healthy response-people were brutal in some of those open questions..yikes! :)
This is a GREAT idea! I will send you my pics soon =)
I do sometimes feel pressure to be a size 0/00, because I WAS once a 0/00. I thought I was healthy, because I was tiny, but I was NOT. I am fine with my size now, yet sometimes it still bothers me. But WHY? I am healthy! Sometimes we just need to put things into perspective. I eat well, I exercise, and my clothes fit (for the most part). Size doesn’t matter! Healthy does =)
You are truly an inspiration.
And I have had people ask me what size I am. Sometimes I reply, sometimes I don’t. Why does it matter to them, anyway?
xo
K
Great idea, every body shape is different. It’s about being fit and healthy.
You are the inspiration queen. :)
There is absolutely so much pressure on women to be a size 0! I hate those numbers on clothing. They don’t mean ANYTHING!!!
As a dancer when I was younger, we would get measured for our costumes in front of each other. I remember that some of the really small girls would actually brag about their measurements. And those with “bigger sizes” would get so embarrassed… it was pretty awful.
So, horray for size healthy :)
This makes me want to go home and cut off the tags on all my jeans. I think it would make a big difference!
I remember a few years ago in college, my parents bought me an expensive pair of jeans for my birthday. I showed them to my boyfriend before I put them on to year that night. He said “You wear a size X? I figured you would be smaller than that. My ex wore a size x and you seem like the same size.” It sucked. Thankfully I am not with him anymore.
Good post today!
THis is so awesome!! I’m so going to a department store tomorrow with a magic marker and vandalizing their clothes. ;-) Muahhaha!!
What a great message! It took me a while to accept the fact that at almost 30, my womanly body will no longer fit into a size 4 intended for a 16 year old teen in a store intended for teens. Now I just try to find pants that fit! And with how all over the board sizes are in different brands, it’s a challenge to find one that fits, let alone care what size it is. And even then, when I find one that fits my thighs, I have to get them taken in in the waist because apparently my thighs and waist don’t match according to jean/pant designers :)
I see you like the Gap Long and Leans! I am a big fan of them as well.
I am always amazed at how self actualized all of you are! It’s awesome how so many of you have your priorities straight! Since the vast majority of you are a lot younger than I am, it makes me feel like there is real progress in women owning their own lives and health and not caving to society’s demands of us. And Angela seems to be leading this charge! Woohoo!
I hate to say that I still secretly care about my own sizes, but I do. Like Amanda, I have had people ask me what size I am…and then they throw out a number. And I will be bigger than that number and will internally fret. It’s insanity! I am MUCH more concerned with being healthy, but I have not yet let go of being semi-concerned with my clothing sizes. A work in progress still… :) I love the idea of size HEALTHY! I am adding that to my vocabulary!
Vanity sizing bugs me! How about the entire stores that do it? So wrong!
I definately think there is too much pressure on women to be thin. when I was younger I did some modeling, and was told, at a size 4/6 that I wouldn’t make it in NY because all the clothing is size 2, i am 5’9″ with big hips and I will never be a size 2! I used to hate it but now I am ok with it
What a great and original idea!! With that said, I wont be participating because I know I am not healthy at my current size. I look forward to being comfortable filling in these tags.
As a ballet dancer, I do have to make sure I stay at a low weight. That said I am a 0 and yes, people always ask me how much I eat, what I weigh and what I wear. It bothers me so much, especially now that I have moved well beyond disordered eating and have finally found what works best for me (high-raw vegan lifestyle). I’m healthier (with a regular period) and happier because I don’t stress over food like I once did. However, I do think that outward appearances are over-stressed in our culture, and it’s disconcerting. If only everyone could be satisfied with their bodies – inside and out – all the time and not be burdened with any pressures from outside sources…
I’ve been a reader for a while now, but this is my first response. Great post – as always!! What a great idea to write in “healthy” in place of those numbers hiding in the closet.
This is SO FAB!!! I love, love, love this. I’m kinda with Heather up there. At 5’10” I was expected to be less than a size 2 for modeling. It didn’t look good on me! Now I’m definitely a size healthy. Thanks for this!
I really think that this contest is so amazing, I am recovering from an eating disorder currently after losing more than 20 pounds in 2 months. Luckily I didn’t get to deep into it so I am able to bounce back, but it’s still a struggle sometimes.
* Do you think there is too much pressure on women today to attain that size 0 or even 00? Yes! So much, it’s not realistic for every woman to be a size 0. Yes, some people are naturally a size 0 and that’s great, but if they aren’t then it shouldn’t be a big deal.
* What do you think about vanity sizing?
I don’t like it
* Have you ever been asked by someone what size you are?
Yes
I entered the contest and will be emailing you my link now! :)