Body Image Archives - Fit Bottomed Girls https://fitbottomedgirls.com/category/fitness/weight-loss/ Health + fitness that's feminist AF Tue, 19 May 2026 11:55:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 122404920 The Truth About Menopause Belly Fat (What Science Actually Says) https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2026/05/the-truth-about-menopause-belly-fat/ Tue, 19 May 2026 09:00:49 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=317270 If you ask the average woman going through perimenopause what she is most concerned about, you’ll probably find a few things near the top of the list: hot flashes, for sure. Vaginal dryness, definitely. Mood swings, irritability, and incandescent rage at the incompetence of men? Highly likely. You’ll even hear a lot about chin hairs and good grief, why are we afflicted with them, along with all of the other perimenopause nonsense. But the thing that tends to be at the very top of the list is actually none of these things. The thing many women in perimenopause are most…

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]]> 317270 Why Using Exercise as Punishment Backfires—and What to Do Instead https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2025/05/why-using-exercise-as-punishment-backfires-and-what-to-do-instead/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2025/05/why-using-exercise-as-punishment-backfires-and-what-to-do-instead/#comments Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:17 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=316770 When you’ve coached as long as I have, you end up learning a lot of lessons. But most of them didn’t come from certifications, courses, or textbooks. They came from experience—coaching others, coaching myself. And honestly? From getting things wrong more than once. One thing I look back on now and think, What was I thinking?! is something I used to believe was helpful… Something I saw a lot of other coaches do, too: using exercise as a form of punishment. Ever trained a little harder after a weekend of indulgence?Added an extra round at the gym because you skipped…

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]]> https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2025/05/why-using-exercise-as-punishment-backfires-and-what-to-do-instead/feed/ 1 316770 Episode #152: Understanding Diet Culture & Its Impact on Body Image https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2025/01/episode-152-understanding-diet-culture-its-impact-on-body-image/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2025/01/episode-152-understanding-diet-culture-its-impact-on-body-image/#comments Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:00:15 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=316353 Diet culture is making a resurgence and we couldn’t be more pissed off about it. The signs are everywhere. New weight loss drugs that are making people think our bodes are more changeable than they actually are and promise in their advertising the same shit diets have promised for generations and failed to deliver on — the myth of transformation. Former champions of body positivity have gone to the dark side. Vogue Business is reporting a “worrying return to using extremely thin models” and a drop-off in size inclusivity in the fashion industry. There are whole industries out there that…

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]]> https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2025/01/episode-152-understanding-diet-culture-its-impact-on-body-image/feed/ 3 316353 Episode #149: “Scrolling & Self-Esteem: Body Image in a Digital Age” with Dr. Charlotte Markey https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2024/12/episode-149-scrolling-self-esteem-body-image-in-a-digital-age-with-dr-charlotte-markey/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2024/12/episode-149-scrolling-self-esteem-body-image-in-a-digital-age-with-dr-charlotte-markey/#comments Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:00:20 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=316245 Body image plays a critical role in shaping how we perceive ourselves, engage with others, and make lifestyle choices. But reaching a place of acceptance—or even joy—with our bodies is no small feat in today’s world of social media, constantly-changing beauty standards, and rapidly evolving trends. On this week’s episode of the podcast, I sat down with Dr. Charlotte Markey, a psychologist, research scientist, and expert on body image at Rutgers University who brings nearly three decades of academic and practical experience to the table. This episode goes beyond the usual shallow platitudes of “just love yourself” to provide evidence-based,…

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]]> https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2024/12/episode-149-scrolling-self-esteem-body-image-in-a-digital-age-with-dr-charlotte-markey/feed/ 3 316245 Turning 50: Redefining Aging on Our Terms https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2024/10/turning-50-redefining-aging-on-our-terms/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2024/10/turning-50-redefining-aging-on-our-terms/#comments Tue, 08 Oct 2024 10:00:42 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=315822 Growing up, one adage that I knew to be true was that you absolutely do not ask a woman her age. It was always something to be coy about—the implication being that not only was it intrusive to ask, but that it’s best not to put the woman in the uncomfortable situation where either she is might be judged … or might lie. Age was always the elephant in the room but as Bob Dylan said … 🎵 the times they are a’changing 🎶 . More and more women are getting comfortable embracing and sharing their age with pride and…

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]]> https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2024/10/turning-50-redefining-aging-on-our-terms/feed/ 17 315822 My Secret Connection to Ilona Maher and BMI https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2024/10/my-secret-connection-to-ilona-maher-and-bmi/ Wed, 02 Oct 2024 09:00:19 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=315805 A month after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and Ilona Maher — the American rugby player who famously fired back at a comment on social media that she (Ilona Maher) must have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 which would categorize her as “obese” — is all the body acceptance rage right now. And as someone who has been in the “overweight” BMI bucket her entire life, I’M HERE FOR IT! But my personal connection to this story goes even deeper. 25 years ago, Ilona Maher was a toddler, I was playing rugby in college, and the US Army…

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]]> 315805 Diet Culture in the Time of Quarantine https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/04/diet-culture-in-the-time-of-quarantine/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/04/diet-culture-in-the-time-of-quarantine/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2020 11:00:56 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=313630 Never in a million years did I think I’d be writing a post about a pandemic. Let alone diet culture in a pandemic. Because in the middle of all of this — *waves hand around at the insanity of life right now* — it seems silly to focus on body shape and size, doesn’t it? But over and over again in my feed, I’ve seen everything from “How to Avoid the Corona 15” to “How to Get a Six-Pack in Quarantine.” I’m sure you have, too. At first, I rolled my eyes. Because, really. REALLY? Losing weight and getting shredded…

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]]> https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/04/diet-culture-in-the-time-of-quarantine/feed/ 15 313630 Is Your ‘Healthy Change’ Really a Diet? https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/01/is-your-healthy-change-really-a-diet/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/01/is-your-healthy-change-really-a-diet/#comments Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:00:39 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=312574 Say you set a goal this year to get healthy — for all the right reasons. You are determined to do it for you, out of nothing but self-love. Because you know all about diet culture. And restriction. And the all-or-nothing trap. Yes! This time it’s going to be different! And, we — as advocates of an anti-diet life — are proud of you. SO, so, proud. We are cheering you on, like whoa. However, we gotta give you the heads up that this isn’t always a clear path — it can be messy and complicated. And, it can be…

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]]> https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/01/is-your-healthy-change-really-a-diet/feed/ 8 312574 10 Posts to Fuel Your Anti-Diet Life https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/01/10-posts-to-fuel-your-anti-diet-life/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/01/10-posts-to-fuel-your-anti-diet-life/#comments Fri, 10 Jan 2020 12:00:19 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=312532 Did you decide to go all in and ditch the dieting, restriction, and overall diet culture mindset this year? Hey, us, too. via GIPHY And to keep you well read (and fed!) on your journey, here are our favorite anti-diet posts to help you get your unconditional self-love on. via GIPHY 1. What You Need to  Know About Diet Culture 2. Why Diet Culture Is Full of You-Know-What 3. How to Stop Moralizing Food 4. 13 Signs You’re Dieting Without Even Realizing It 5. 25 Pieces of Weight-Loss Advice You’ve Never Heard Before (It’s not what you think …) 6.…

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]]> https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2020/01/10-posts-to-fuel-your-anti-diet-life/feed/ 3 312532 Why We’re Not Doing New Year New Rear Week Anymore https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2019/12/why-were-not-doing-new-year-new-rear-week-anymore/ https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2019/12/why-were-not-doing-new-year-new-rear-week-anymore/#respond Mon, 30 Dec 2019 12:00:25 +0000 https://fitbottomedgirls.com/?p=312470 Have you guys been reflecting back on 2019? via GIPHY Because we have. The past year has been crazy — yet wonderful — here in a number of ways. We traveled, added two more babies to our collective the Fit Bottomed family, and took our anti-diet and size-inclusive message even further with an IGTV and Facebook Live series and a series of posts and resources on how to break free from diet culture. And in all of that, we’ve had the intention to help all of you to continue to — as our tagline says — not hate yourself healthy.…

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