We are heading to Hawaii next week for our first family vacation! In preparation, I bought a SUPER CUTE new bikini, an armload of self-tanning products (WISH ME LUCK), then came home and made amazing cookies. I know bikini shopping and cookie baking seem incongruous… but might as well have a little sumpin sumpin to jiggle around on the beach, amirite?
On that note, I know that beach season is not a favourite for many, and I wonder if those women are aware of the amazing shift in the fashion industry toward size-inclusiveness in swimwear.
I read a number of fashion blogs – and many of them are plus size. At a size 8-10, I can often relate more to how styles will look on me by how they look on a woman with more curves than on a straight size model who is usually a size 00. And I’ve been really super impressed with all the FABULOUS bathing suits this season. Check out this roundup by fellow Canadian blogger Assa of My Curves and Curls or this stunning collection by fashionista extraordinaire GabiFresh. They’re plus size, but even if you’re not, it gives a good idea of how you can rock different styles with some junk in the trunk.
I don’t talk about it much here, but when I was a privately consulting dietitian, I worked a lot with women with body image issues and disordered eating.
As someone who obviously loves (lives!) to eat fantastic food, I chose to take a mindful eating approach to teaching rather than a “you should eat this many servings of this, and a portion the size of this, and blah blah blah”.
Because I think really listening to your body (its hungers, its cravings, its feeling of satiety) is the a crucial skill, and one that most people have lost touch with, having been told for so long what to eat and how much, and what to avoid.
Most of what we talked about in sessions was not actually food, however, but something I consider a more important issue to deal with first, and that’s self-love (cue the eye roll). But in all seriousness, I think it is so important to embrace yourself as you are, and to “treat yourself as if you already are that which you wish to be” – because if you already feel good about yourself, you’re going to treat yourself well! And sustainable change comes from a place of self-worth and confidence and happiness, not from self-loathing and guilt et al.
As a first step, I usually convinced clients to save the $125 they would have spent on a follow up session with me, and go buy a few pretty new clothes that fit fabulously, without giving a flying f*%k what the number says on the tag.
Yes, it was not a great business model. And it was emotionally exhausting (although rewarding! Lots of hugging!).
I don’t do that anymore. But I do still really support the movement behind health (and happiness) at every size, and love to see the thick chicks who are KILLING it in fashion blogs these days.
Anyway, major digression from COOKIES, but hey. Bikini season brings stuff up! Hope to see you all strutting yourself on the beaches this summer.
Go make some super-chewy, peanut-buttery, chocolate chunky cookies in preparation. 🙂
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup large flake oats not instant
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 8 oz coarsely chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a standing mixer on medium speed, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, then vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture with mixer speed running on low. Remove bowl from stand and stir in chopped chocolate. Chill 1 hour before baking (or up to 48 hours).
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Scoop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheet about 3 inches apart (cookies will spread quite a bit), rolling into smooth balls between your palms for perfect circles. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and centres are still pale and slightly undercooked. Cool on wire racks.
Just wondered if I can use regular peanut butter, instead of natural? Thank you1