TW: Health shaming

redefiningbodyimage:

Do not make assumptions about my lifestyle under the guise of being concerned about my health, especially when I did not ask for your opinion.

YOU DON’T KNOW ME LIKE I DO. SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Let me just expand on this as I am slowly raging…

I posted on Facebook this morning that I’m not feeling well. Mistake number one.

Should have known better than to incite a discussion about health on Facebook, though honestly I don’t know how making a statement about being frustrated with my health turns into an open invitation for others to make assumptions and lecture me about my lifestyle habits.

Yes, I know taking vitamins and exercise is “good” for me.

Yes, it’s lovely that you walk 2 miles twice a week and would like me to join you - but why are you assuming that I don’t already have some sort of walking regime in place? 

Yes mother, I know that going outside and being consistently active could help with my conditions, thank you for the 20 texts you sent me this morning reminding me of this. Like the millions of times you brought this up in the past wasn’t enough.

What is it about me that makes people think I fucking lack common sense? Is there something about my fat body that just screams, “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO BE HEALTHY, PLEASE SOMEONE TEACH ME HOW”? Oh, right.

I mean, I know obviously that all of these people have my best interest in mind. As my mother puts it: “I’m a nag with good intentions.”

I’m really sorry, but the cold hard fact is - your good intentions don’t mean shit to me.

In fact, they appear to me as health shaming cloaked in “concern”.

They make me feel small.

Walking a few miles every week is great. I love walking. I’ve been walking a lot more lately. How much I walk or how often is immaterial - the point is, I move my body intuitively. I am active in ways that please me and make me feel good. You don’t need to know the details, because I don’t need your validation. 

The fucking reality is, going for a walk is not going to make my fucking chronic illnesses DISAPPEAR. You can’t fix me. I can’t fix me. I can only live with what I’ve got, and I know what I’m doing more than you know what’s “best” for me.