This annual celebration of body acceptance and diversity is observed on May 6 each year. Its purpose:
- Celebrate the beauty and diversity of ALL our natural sizes & shapes
- Affirm everyBODY’s right to health, fitness, and emotional well-being
- Declare a personal one-day moratorium on diet/weight obsession
- Learn the facts about weight-loss dieting, health, and body size
- Recognize how dieting perpetuates violence against women
- Honor the victims of eating disorders and weight-loss surgery
- Help end weight discrimination, sizism and fatphobia
To do this for ourselves, the founders recommend we take this pledge.
I Pledge:
· That I will not diet for one day, on May 6, International No Diet Day.
· Instead of trying to change my body to fit someone else’s standards, I will accept myself just as I am.
· I will feed myself if I’m hungry.
· I will feel no shame or guilt about my size or about eating.
· I will think about whether dieting has improved my health and well-being or not.
· And I will try to do at least one thing I have been putting off "until I lose weight."
Signed,
____________________________________________________
There are also a variety of activities you might try on this day, but for me, one theme ranks above all the rest this weekend. I’m putting myself first, taking the time to do what I need to take care of myself.
My list:
- Sleep as late as I like
- Eat a great breakfast, lunch and dinner (for me, that means tasty and healthy. The combination is dynamite)
- Take a leisurely walk (my fingers are crossed for nice weather)
- Do a short strength training or yoga session ( I feel so much better when I accomplish that)
- Organize one of the rooms in our home that is plaguing me (this may not sound very self-care oriented, but if it were organized, I know I would feel sooo much better)
- Go to the movies, or at least rent a video (just about my favorite thing in the world to do!)
I think that’s enough. Yes, I know it’s focused on me, doing nothing to support others in giving up dieting and starting to take better care of themselves. But, actually, sometimes we have to put ourselves first to be able to care for others. I’ve been caught up in doing a lot for others in the past month – things that took me away from home for prolonged periods and added a fair bit of stress to my life. So I’m getting selfish this weekend. I’ll be there in spirit to help others, but I can’t be there in person. I hope that you get similarly selfish when you need to.
I just re-read the list of things that we might do on No-Diet Day and found an idea that can blend with my list above. In organizing my room, I’ll save what might be of interest and donate it to a battered women’s shelter near us. Okay – now I feel better. Like most women, I have a hard time with the selfish thing.
