Ellen Daisy
Women of 2020
So you gained weight during lockdown
I think we all find ourselves taking the stress of lockdown and the uncertainty of the world out on ourselves. I know it can be tricky not to put pressure on yourself, and now more than ever, as we don’t have as much of an opportunity for productivity (I know I’m finding it hard to find motivation), but we have to remind ourselves every now and then that that’s okay, we don’t have to be our best selves 24/7.
Fatphobia has been internalised in all of us; we all have that twang in our brain that tells us to judge worth by weight and appearance. The 'before and after' memes are everywhere. I really hate seeing them online and then feeling the pressure to come out of lockdown two sizes smaller than how I went in. I don't like feeling I have to have a 'glow up' during lockdown and 'improve myself'. I think fatphobia and diet culture has never been more present than now. I used to dread being called fat, but now I'd love to reclaim the meaning of that word, to become less taboo.
Let's make body acceptance the new norm. I think a lot of us would appreciate the positivity and being seen as a person, not a weight. I've really loved reading Jameela Jamil's 'I weigh campaign'. It's all about your worth coming from so much more than your weight, 'I weigh a great sense of humour, I weigh a healthy relationship, I weigh a successful career'. These are the things that we should all focus on I think: the person rather than the physical weight.
During lockdown I've seen so many tweets or memes on Instagram and things talking about weight gain during lockdown. I really don't understand why this has become an issue. We can't go outside like we used to, and we're literally going through a global pandemic , so why has weight gain become the main focus of this? Let's just appreciate the fact that our bodies are keeping us alive and healthy during this massive time of stress. It's so hard to avoid these memes and jokes right now- they're normally the first things I see as I go onto Instagram. I think this is a recurring problem for us (even without a lockdown) as there has always been a stigma around weight gain. We've never been able to do it without some form of controversy.
During a time where we should be taking care of ourselves and our mental health, it's so dangerous to introduce the possibility of gaining a few pounds as being a bad thing! We should be saying thank you to our bodies right now for keeping us alive, rather than punishing them for eating a few biscuits with a cup of tea. Health isn't always about weight and what we eat: it's also about mental health and making sure your body is getting everything it needs, like sleep and water.
For the majority of us our routines have been completely thrown out- I know they have for me. I used to have quite an active hospitality job and I used to eat at roughly the same time every day, but now, I have nothing close to a routine. Of course our weight might fluctuate if our routines have changed. The way our bodies process food has a lot to do with when we eat it- sometimes I have breakfast at 12pm and dinner at 9pm at the moment.
Let's start giving our bodies a break during lockdown, letting ourselves lean into cravings, lean into comfort. Be nice to yourself and say thank you to your body. We're going through a hard time at the moment, so let's remember our priorities of staying safe and looking after each other, not watching our weight.
(All photos are of Lydia, taken by her sister, link to her answer page here)