Mood Shaper
March 6, 2008 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
Angry. Moody. Irratible. Cramped. Shoved in. Judged. Restricted. Oppressed. Repressed. Hostile. Wrong. Fat. Unacceptable. Picked Apart. Flawed. Pinched. Unworthy. Squished. Frustrated. When I quit smoking and realized what a blatently hostile and self-destructive act it was to my own self. I vowed to show my own self more kindness from here on out. This is me in a girdle or more recently coined body shaper. I bought a few of these girdles after indulging in a make-over show. Basically, you suck your whole body into tight elastic.I was expecting it to make me feel better about myself. Everyone gets sucked into today’s body-culture sometimes - I’m no exception.So, usually on Sunday morning as I’m putting on a dress for church, I’ll struggle to stretch one of these full body girdles up over my thighs, stomach and yes - even my breasts. (Why on earth does it cover the breasts?)I feel. . . .Angry. Moody. Irratible. Cramped. Shoved in. Judged. Restricted. Oppressed. Repressed. Hostile. Wrong. Fat. Unacceptable. Picked Apart. Flawed. Pinched. Unworthy. Squished. Frustrated. The girdle stands up and screams at me: You’re not thin enough! How dare you let your body hang out! How dare you exist! How dare you show your imperfections in public? Why do you eat? Can’t you look better? You’re such a fat cow! How could your thighs be so big? Why don’t you do more sit-ups?Wait - no, that’s the voice in my head that sounds an awful lot like Stacy London from What Not To Wear. What if I have to pee?I strip the blasted thing off and put my dress on. I get compliments all day. I feel liberated. I feel beautiful. I feel comfortable. I feel unjudged. I feel accepted. I feel lovely. I feel worthy of kindness and self love. I feel thin. I feel sexy. Anyone want a free girdle?
Tracee - burn that thing! I feel the same way about pantyhose w/ the control top! They somehow make me feel ‘less’ put together and sweaty and fat because unless I pull them up to my chin there’s going to be that unnatural roll right above my waist..what’s that? people are thinking..how are you just fat there?
Good advice Ashley!
i loved this post! Good for you!
You are SOO right!! I tried one of those things, too, and had EXACTLY the same experience. YUK!
I have this theory that if we stop treating our bodies like crap, then we’ll feel better about ourselves and how we look.
It’s worth a shot anyway.
Just had to ask…..how many sickos have taken you up on your offer for the girdle? HA! Hey, wanted to let you and your readers know that I’m having a contest where any one of you stand a good chance of winning $50 - http://natespost.com/index.php/win-20-of-my-unemployment-check/
P.S. Nice dress!
You look great without it! Yeah, I gave up the girdles a long time ago, and let my gut hang out. I wasn’t fooling anyone anyway. Duh, I’m fat. Live with it.
Guess what? I realized it made no difference anyway. The people who love me still do. My husband still calls me beautiful. And now I can breathe and enjoy myself instead of feeling it roll up or dig into my skin. Ditto on pantyhose. And high heels (okay, except for once in a while for fun).
Those modern “girdles” are just like a rubber band. They may smooth out a bit, but do little for a fuller figure. Wear a real girdle with a waistband (Rago or so) and see how you look much better. Real girdles even help me to maintain my figure. Whenever I’ll be over 120 lbs, I’ll wear a real tight one daily until the weight is gone - that will teach myself a lesson to stick with my diet. And it works for me. No figure problems with a girdle. That’s healthy, beautiful and well worth some efforts and money. If all women still would wear girdles, our nation would be slim.
Consider me a sicko then. I’d love to have a free girdle!!
Seriously Diandra - it would make you feel so icky.
Tracee:
I wouldn’t feel icky! I’m dirt poor and need clothes! I’m serious and desperate!
Not icky cause they’re used clothes - icky because the girdle makes me feel like shit about my body.
Absolutely lovely. A must for me. Kisses