More than a month of Meme's...

...And what I gave energy too instead

I hesitated to post this blog, but it's got to go.

In a crisis, humour well used can be an incredible plus and Lord knows I've needed to laugh in the last month plus (like most of us).

Lots of the things I've laughed at have been about parental sanity on the home-school front and Zoom fails in a work capacity. But what I haven't found relief in, has been all the weight gain memes... 

...I know, it's just banter right? Wrong. Banter is too close to bullying in my book - the line between them, wafer thin.

There are several issues with weight gain memes including - they're often upsetting to those who are already larger than society deems acceptable, it's triggering to those who have/have had disordered eating, and that it suggests that weight gain is somehow worse or funnier than things like my hair falling out and my skin getting dry and sore.

I know that for some the fear of weight gain is a big, real, legitimate issue and that's the point - it's a genuine concern to some and therefore shouldn't be such an easy, thoughtless share for a laugh for others.

I am mindful that I have the privilege of being in a smaller body, so my concern might be deemed odd. However putting myself in someone else's shoes - 1. it's about being sensitive and 2. it's about trying to be an ally.

I am also aware that some people have used the memes to be self-deprecating, perhaps to get the joke in before someone else does. That makes me sad. Times are tough enough without feeling the need to further push or punish ourselves.

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So, rather than comment on every meme post  - to save my energy and yet do something - I decided to put forward positive things over fighting over negative things. I even pushed past personal discomfort and self-doubt posted a few videos*

The subjects I covered included nourishment, movement and more to post encouraging messages and to gently push back on some of the narratives I was seeing.
Blog here: https://damsonbelle.blogspot.com/2020/03/seven-days-in-isolation-with-bcc.html

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Nothing I did will change the world but I do hope that I made a few people reflect on what they'd been posting and more importantly helped a few people feel a little less anxious about putting on weight. And I hope this blog has that affect too. 

As one of my video's points to* - its about making a genuine, personal choice though: if you're sure that you do want to do the uber-fitness thing for example, go ahead; but, if not consider this... if we can't chill a little, and eat the damn cake if we want to, when in a pandemic lockdown no less when can/will we?


Let's get through this #TogetherApart.
Best wishes
Denise 💞💞💞

To find out more, get in touch via the social media channels etc below or go to * https://www.facebook.com/groups/2653606204690681/