Fit is a Feminist Issue, Link Round Up #58

This is where we share stuff we can’t share on our Facebook page for fear of being kicked out! Read why here. Usually the posts are about body image, sometimes there’s nudity but we’re all adults here. Right?

Why does a fitness blog even care about body image? You can read about that here.

These Women Were Fat-Shamed By Their Doctors—And It Almost Cost Them Their Lives

Rebecca Hiles had a chronic cough and breathlessness for years. Catherine Carelli broke her leg. Christel Arant’s blood pressure spiked suddenly. All three of these women consulted doctors multiple times. All were given the same diagnosis: obesity. If you would just lose weight, they were told, your symptoms will go away. I wish I could say these were anomalies, unfortunate but rare. But this kind of misdiagnosis happens every single day in doctors’ offices and hospitals across the country. It’s so common, in fact, there’s a name for it: medical fat-shaming.

What to say when someone shames you

We’re bombarded with thousands of messages every day via social media, television, radio, magazines, billboards, and the people in our lives. Sometimes those messages are judgemental, prejudiced and shaming. Over and over each day we’re told how we’re supposed to look, act, dress, eat, move, and live in order to be accepted, loved, admired or desired.

There’s an incredible amount of money tied up in making people feel like they need to be different or better! (Buy this face cream, go on this diet, you need this supplement…)
Some messages will make you feel guilty, ashamed, inferior or like you need to be someone other than your true self. These messages can make it incredibly hard for us to feel empowered to make our own choices, accept and love our own body as it is right now, and just enjoy being who we are.

Full figured models who could rock the runway

Blonde, long, lean, and blah, blah, blah—ain’t it about damn time Victoria’s Secret shake up its brand with some curvy angels?  We mean, it isonly the largest American retailer of lingerie.  Here, we showcase 15 smokin’ hot models we think would rock the Victoria’s Secret runway in a pair of wings!

What other model would you add to our list? Tell us below!

11 Famous Women Who Stand Up For Your Right To Orgasm

When it comes to heterosexual sex, the orgasm gap is real and it is significant. Women are far less likely than men to say they orgasmed in their most recent sexual encounter, and the picture is especially bleak when it comes to casual hook-ups. The reasons behind the discrepancy are complex and wide-ranging, but there is no denying that living in a culture that has long associated women’s sexual pleasure with shame and judgement bears a whole lot of the blame.

Which is why, without getting too earnest about it, it is a big deal when well-known women publicly embrace their sexuality and insist on not settling for not getting-off — no matter how long it takes, or how much instruction they have to provide. Here are 11 celebs who remind us all that a) orgasms are awesome, and b) women should feel way more empowered to get theirs.

smile, you bitch: being a woman in 2015

Let me preface this by saying: the world and the internet can be wonderful and terrible, and sometimes it’s easier to just pretend the garbage people don’t exist in either place, but they do. They do, and sometimes they drop some flaming dog shit on your doorstep and you realize, alright, let’s do this. A few weeks ago I had an incredibly condescending and offensive experience wherein a very drunk man approached me to tell me I should smile.

He clearly thought it was a way to flirt with me. You know, hey, I’ve been watching you (his opening line, not in any way unsettling for a woman to hear) and you should smile. You just don’t look very nice when you’re not…

Feminist Lingerie Brand Neon Moon Launches #IAmNeonMoon To Fight Transphobia & Body Shaming

Feminism and lingerie are a combination that, IMO, should go hand in hand. But thanks to our patriarchal society, which often perceives everything feminine through male gaze-tinted glasses, it often feels like our underwear is sold for its sexuality over its practicality. Lingerie brand Neon Moon has been changing the way we view ourselves and our underwear since spring 2015, when the company received over 155 percent of its fundraising goals via online crowdfunding. This week, its back with the #IAmNeonMoon campaignmeant to fight transphobia and body shaming in our culture.

#IAmNeonMoon comes alongside a new and diverse photo campaign from the feminist brand. The shoot utilized a cis model, a transgender model, and a model of color to promote Neon Moon’s dedication to diversity and body positivity.

Why Saying “You Look Gorgeous” Is Not Helping The Body Image War

People can be ten thousand things, and really, looking beautiful is only one of them.

I recently participated in a photo shoot, and the photographer posted one of the images on Facebook.

Most of my Facebook friends posted underneath, You look [insert fabulous adjective here]! 

However, one person commented:

This is the true essence of you. Inside and out. This is the ultimate picture of the Amanda I know.

That comment made my day.