Comments on: On becoming thin, and my story http://karenrayne.com/2009/02/20/on-becoming-thin-and-my-story/ Mon, 21 May 2012 18:46:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Dorian Rinehart http://karenrayne.com/2009/02/20/on-becoming-thin-and-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4255 Dorian Rinehart Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:01:19 +0000 http://karenrayne.com/?p=525#comment-4255 Thanks for sharing your intensely personal story and thanks for your primary suggestion of feeling free to stay out of somebody else's body changes. That's what I try to do and what I prefer other people do with my body. I have intense shame and embarrasement about my body wherever it is (and it has been many places!). When I'm happy - I eat and gain weight. When I'm sad - I eat and gain weight. When I'm hungry - I eat and gain weight. When I'm full - I keep eating and keep gaining weight. Today, I don't look like I do those things because I've joined a 12 step program that keeps my food in place - out of my head. I eat appropriate amounts of appropriate food and that's all. But I still struggle with the desire to eat lots of inappropriate food quite often and other people commenting on my body is almost always painful and difficult, no matter WHAT they are saying. So, again, thanks for your quiet suggestion that what someone else's body is doing is not really any of my business. If they initiate the conversation about their body, I'll talk with them about it, but I won't initiate it. And I appreciate all the people in my world who do the same for me. I remember the shame I felt as a teenager and how intensely I felt that shame whenever someone commented on my body - I hope all parents of teenagers today will give their child a hug and tell them they look great without any further comment on body characteristics - they all need to hear that. Thanks for sharing your intensely personal story and thanks for your primary suggestion of feeling free to stay out of somebody else’s body changes. That’s what I try to do and what I prefer other people do with my body. I have intense shame and embarrasement about my body wherever it is (and it has been many places!).
When I’m happy - I eat and gain weight.
When I’m sad - I eat and gain weight.
When I’m hungry - I eat and gain weight.
When I’m full - I keep eating and keep gaining weight.
Today, I don’t look like I do those things because I’ve joined a 12 step program that keeps my food in place - out of my head. I eat appropriate amounts of appropriate food and that’s all. But I still struggle with the desire to eat lots of inappropriate food quite often and other people commenting on my body is almost always painful and difficult, no matter WHAT they are saying. So, again, thanks for your quiet suggestion that what someone else’s body is doing is not really any of my business. If they initiate the conversation about their body, I’ll talk with them about it, but I won’t initiate it. And I appreciate all the people in my world who do the same for me.
I remember the shame I felt as a teenager and how intensely I felt that shame whenever someone commented on my body - I hope all parents of teenagers today will give their child a hug and tell them they look great without any further comment on body characteristics - they all need to hear that.

]]> By: Anon for this one http://karenrayne.com/2009/02/20/on-becoming-thin-and-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4254 Anon for this one Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:59:17 +0000 http://karenrayne.com/?p=525#comment-4254 Wise words. I got a few compliments of how great I looked not long after having lost 10 pounds due to intense morning sickness, followed by an abortion. I really dreaded those comments, though they were intended to be nice. Thank you for the reminder that we don't really know what's going on with someone until they tell us. Wise words. I got a few compliments of how great I looked not long after having lost 10 pounds due to intense morning sickness, followed by an abortion. I really dreaded those comments, though they were intended to be nice.

Thank you for the reminder that we don’t really know what’s going on with someone until they tell us.

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