This Venus of Willendorf rubber stamp is available at Kate Cartwright.com.
The following is an article Mama Sutra wrote and published on www.cybergrrls in Sept. 2000.
THE LOVE YOURSELF DIET
After spending most of my life trying to shed big chunksof myself, having been reduced to size by strangers and loved ones alike, finally, I decided to try the Love Yourself Diet. And for the first time in my life, my self worth was not diminished by my shape and size! I chose empowerment instead of punishment, inclusion instead of ostracization, body acceptance instead of weight loss diets. And I found out that CONFIDENCE is very attractive in ALL body shapes. I began the Love Yourself Diet by surrounding myself with body images in my likeness. I found the Venus of Willendorf, the Laussel Goddess, the Maltese Reclining Goddess, Lespugue's Goddess, and the Dolni Goddess to all be figures that reflected my own large, womanly shape (rarely depicted in modern media). There are statues of Goddesses of every shape and size at Sacred Source, www.sacredsource.com. They have Venus of Willendorf statues, pendants, chocolates, soaps, t-shirts, incense burners, etc. It is important to see your body shape glorified in statue and art form. Keep these images around you, where you will see them, and you will notice a change in your attitude toward yourself. You will begin to feel like a Goddess instead of "overweight."
I say "When I see myself with Goddess eyes, I accept and love my shape and size," when I am feeling unsure of myself and it really helps!
The Love Yourself Diet turned me into a fat activist instead of a yo-yo dieter. I found I could download a wonderful Fat Grrl Superhero, for my computer wallpaper at Fat Grrl, www.fatgirl.org and feel good about being fat! It is fun to watch her burst onto the screen! You can play the Feed The Starving Super Model Game at Riot Grrl, www.riotgrrl.com. Or go to Marilyn Wann's Fat?So! web site at www.fatso.com. With all the media telling women to lose weight, it is important to counter-act those images with fun messages such as those offered by these web sites. As one of my thin friends pointed out, thin women live in weight slavery too. All benefit when size diversity is embraced, for the cosmetic fears of "getting fat" are removed from women's lives. Freeing women to love themselves, instead of hate themselves.
There are things you can do to get comfortable in the body you have right now. For instance, there is a great Love Your Belly site at www.loveyourbelly.com, by a woman who offers belly workshops and great belly loving advice! Identify others with your body type in art and the media, that you find attractive, and study them. Take the time to rub your feet with sweet smelling oils, or to braid your hair in an elaborate style, to do a facial, or to just sit by candle light...these are things you deserve today.
Find communities that support size diversity. Radiance is a nice alternative magazine that includes large women, www.radiancemagazine.com. And SeaFattle is a group of women in Seattle, Wa. having big fun, www.seafattle.org. In Boston there is a Fat Chicks Ballet with choreographed routines by big women in army boots and tutus. And in the Bay Area, they have the Padded Lillies, a synchronized swimming team for large women. Get creative! We had a 201 Club for a while (for women over 200 pounds) and hosted clothing trades, dessert potlucks, belly dance lessons, yoga lessons, field trips, etc. Get together with women of all sizes and feel comfortable about your size.
Americans spend billions of dollars every year on diet products that make them feel helpless and ugly, as they do not work. American women also spend billions on face make-up, hair dye, cosmetic surgery, etc. Body Hatred is big bucks in America for the "beauty industry." And women are being hurt by these trends via Bolemia, Anorexia, Liposuction, Breast enlargments, etc. Stand up and challenge beauty myths! Beauty comes in all sizes, shapes and colors! Invest in pampering instead of dieting. Diet is die with a T. Help expand America's unhealthy and unnatural standards of beauty to include all body types, for all women, by allowing yourself to be as beautiful as you are in your body, naturally, TODAY!
Here are some fun body acceptance solgans:
* I Don't Care WHAT They Say About Diamonds -
Chocolate Is A Girl's Best Friend. - Paige
* A waist is a terrible thing to mind!
* Can you imagine a world without men?
No crime and a lot of happy, fat women." - Marion Smith
* Cowpokes in Nevada say about datin' hefty women -
More heat in the winter, more shade in the
summer.
Some related websites are:
* A Woman-Centered Adore Yourself Site:
www.angelfire.com/or2/adoreyourself
* Media Watch, Beauty Industry Watchdogs: www.mediawatch.com
* About-Face Body Acceptance:www.about-face.org
* Kate Cartwright Rubber Stamps/
Goddesses:www.katecartwright.com
* NAAFA/ Fat Rights Activists:www.naafa.org
