NERD ALERT: Fear, Fat, and Forgiveness, An Open Letter with Love from Dr. B

Dear Beautiful You,

I’m about to drop some f-bombs. Yep, that’s right. We’re talking fear, fat, and forgiveness.

The chaos has ebbed a little bit. You’ve navigated the weird uneasiness of toilet paper shortages, social distancing measures, and spending your days at/around home. You’ve had a lot of new, maybe scary or just downright confusing things thrown at you. You have been facing a very fearful time no matter which way you slice it. 

So many of the voices I have heard are expressing their fear via a shame in their eating and drinking habits. I’m hearing a lot of self-criticism about weight gain as if fat is some kind of enemy. Fat, in a biological sense, is the epitome of comfort. It is our first line of defense we develop as babies and forever associated with safety! Safety sounds pretty dang good, if not super necessary right now. 

It is with this understanding that I reach out to you about forgiveness. Forgive the late-night popcorn, because clutching a bowl of something you know and enjoy is sometimes just as healthy as properly portioning out your salads. I’m not going to tell you to put down the ice cream. Instead, I’m here to say “Thank goodness for the sweetness of this life” and I invite you to bless your (coconut, soy, or even dairy!) ice cream and everything you can see that is so full of sweetness.

And the next time you make your usual healthy choice, I want you to marvel in that choice. The choices we make are part of the richness of life. Forgive the extra jiggle in your thighs for now, they are telling a story of awareness newly gained. Let them be your motivators to embrace health in the many ways it comes to you. You are FABULOUS! Your body knows how to protect you and grow with you. Weight changes extensively in the course of a lifetime, sometimes very quickly. Let’s allow our bodies to be comfortable as they are and put our critical lenses on hold. Now is just not the time. Let’s encourage ourselves and each other and be the sweetness, the deliciousness that we crave for each other as we learn where to go from here!

So whenever you’re dropping some f-bombs on yourself, throw a big forgiveness bomb in there too, and hell, a fabulous bomb if you’re really feeling it. I love bringing you information- and will continue to do so. But even more than that? I love bringing you reasons to feel amazing.

With love (and collagen),

Dr. B