Women's Fat and the Supposed Dangers of Dieting 3

Upon further reflection, I reaffirmed my belief in dieting. I think it is a healthy choice for me to remain on Weight Watchers. On my mom's side of the family, heavy women and men compose my family. We are built bigger; we have bigger bones. Perpetual weight gain is inevitable if I do not do something to prevent it. My grandpa got so big, doctors told him he was in danger of getting diabetes and so we quickly started walking at the mall to get the weight off. My mother has been on and off Weight Watchers and other dieting programs since she was in college. I have determined that, because of my family history, I should really sort this out while I am young and able, while I have the chance, while I am still thin enough that it is easier. 

When I began Weight Watchers in September, I was a stone above the heaviest side of my healthy weight range. I was technically overweight. Not massively so, but overweight enough that I was concerned. I have made my goal weight smack dab in the middle of the healthy weight range for someone of my age and height. I figure that this will give me some cushioning for when my body wants to being weighing more as I get older, as has happened in my family. This way, if I gain ten pounds, I'll at least be on the edge of my healthy weight, so I will not need to fix this just because it is what society wants. I can be content in that I was built bigger; I can be proud of that, because it's a family trait, and I love my family. 

I worked out with my leader Nicole that if it gets to a point that I do not lose or gain any weight for weeks, that is a sign that my body is not supposed to weigh less, which, in part, accepts Wolf's claim that women's bodies are "programmed to weigh a certain amount" (192). I will not push myself past that point. I am not aiming for Ann Hollander's "'look of sickness, the look of poverty'" (184). I am not engaged in "adolescent starvation;" I am being smart about this (203). 

Although, admittedly, I did not initially begin dieting purely for health reasons. I also wanted to feel better about myself. I had not realized at the time, that it was not me who had to change, but society. Naomi Wolf taught me that. This is why I can now say that I would be accepting of gaining ten pounds later on, if it happened naturally after I met my goal weight or somewhere near it.