I have always loved April. My birthday is at the end of the month, Spring is in full swing–I like to think of April as my New Year, thus making me the perfect April Fool.

So, I’d like to thank Harriet Olivia over at Too Fat For Fashion (one of our favorite blogs) for the link to the article in Sunday’s The Independent on the size acceptance movement in the UK (Gotta love the title: We’re here. We’re fat. Get used to it.). There are so many wonderful curvy girls there doing wonderful curvy things–here are a few from the article:

Chloe Marshall, a size-16 Miss England contestant (How gorgeous is she?)

Plus, The Real Girl Band: a plus-size girl group with a new single out

Just As Beautiful: web-based plus-size magazine

Songstress Adele (pictured above): winner of the first ever Critic’s Choice Award at this year’s Brit Awards

Kate Dillon: the new face of Marina Rinaldi and my all-time favorite plus-size model

And, not mentioned, Beth Ditto with Mika on The Brit Awards.

I’ll have more details on each of these as the month progresses.

Here’s to kicking April off with a bang!

Oh, Gabriel Olds, where art thou? Gabriel has a great article in the March 2008 issue of Glamour Magazine. He writes:

But as much as we lust after images of hyper-real beauty in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue or even in the apartments or cubicles next door, we don’t quite know how to react when those unreal bodies actually belong to the woman in our lives.

Gabriel found it very difficult to maintain relationships with women who had had plastic surgery. His reasons why and his final conclusions are quite interesting.

The article is available online by clicking here.

MSN.com has an article on Tina Fey this morning, with links to her SNL “Mom Jeans” skit and 30 Rock’s “Muffin Top” song.

Hey, “everyone knows the most delicious part of the muffin is the top!”

“Seeking the ideal body, searching for perfection” is a great editorial by college student Denise Heady about the pressure she feels to be thin.

I’m 5-foot-2 and weigh 112 pounds.
Most people consider me to be average. Some would even say that I am on the skinny side.
But I feel enormous. Up until last year, I never weighed more than 100 pounds.
You might think I’m weird, or even crazy, for considering myself to be too big. But let me explain.
First, take a look at the culture we live in.
Images of women are plastered everywhere. They are used to sell everything from fishing line to fast food. These models are tall and slender.
The women in these ads are 5-foot-10 and weigh 105 pounds. How can real women compete with that kind of body image?

Click here for the rest of the article.

I came across this book when I read the article “Love Your Fat Self” in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Utne Reader. I was so moved by her compassionate take on what it means to be a young, fat woman today. Even further, though, I was struck by the subtitle of her book: “The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body.”

Body loathing has become the new normal for women. What are we going to do about that?

Here’s a short excerpt from the book that I found profound (I find the whole book to be profound, for that matter):

The cruel irony is that although we become totally obsessed with the daily measures of how “good” or “bad” we are (refused dessert = good; didn’t have time to go to the gym = bad), there is no finish line. This weight preoccupation will never lead us anywhere. It is a maniacal maze that always spits you out at the same point it sucked you up: wanting. We keep chasing after perfection as if it is an achievable goal, when really it is the most grand and painful of all mirages (Alternet.org, 4/18/2007).

I think that Martin has a really honest and fresh take on the whole body loathing issue. And that’s why I featuring her book in the Book Club.

Click here, Perfect girls, for the Amazon link, if you need it.

I love books and I’m always on the look out for new and/or interesting books on body image, self-esteem, and positivity. So, I’ve decided to start a Curvy Live Book Club (Oprah’s got nothing on me). Each month I’ll present the highlights of one of my favorite books. Feel free to join the discussion. And if you have a favorite book, let me know–I’d love to read it.

This month I’ve decided to feature Courtney Martin’s Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters. She has a compelling take on the pressure of perfection, particularly on women under 30; however, as a woman over 30, I find her insights to be spot on.

If you need a copy of the book, you can order directly from Amazon by clicking Perfect girls. Otherwise, the book is widely available at bookstores nation wide. I’ll give you a little background on the book tomorrow.

Now that we’ve spent a month thinking about loving our bodies, Tip #28 is about spreading the love:

Don’t tolerate negative body talk from others.

In her book “Do I Look Fat in This,” Jessica Weiner describes a scenario where the women of the world simply great each other with:

I feel fat.

Yeah, me too, I feel so fat.

Negative body talk has become the common language of women, and it’s time we put a stop to it. When your friends start dissing their bodies, speak up. Call them on it. Let’s use peer pressure to our advantage and start communicating with one another in ways that foster genuine connection and support.

All of the tips this month have really had Tip #27 as their aim:

Eliminate body image clutter.

We start collecting body image clutter as children.  Then we are constantly bombarded by negative messages about our bodies. Make it your goal to sort through the mental static and keep only those thoughts about your body (and yourself) that support and empower you.

And, of course, keep checking back here for more on decluttering body image–our theme for March.

The first step in decluttering body image is to uncover the mental and physical clutter we have around our bodies.  The following is a 10-point assessment to reveal areas in your life where you might be holding on to body image clutter:

1. Do you spend thinking and/or worrying about your body, food, and exercise? How much time?
2. Do you have nagging, negative feelings around the way you look?
3. Can you take a compliment?  When complimented, is your first response, “Thank you,” or do you try to diminish the praise?
4. Do you ask your partner/spouse/friends/family—do I look fat in this? How often?
5. How many diet books, magazine articles, cookbooks, etc. do you have? How many do you use?
6. How many exercise gadgets do you own? How many do you use on a regular basis?
7. Do you have a full or even over-full closet, but “nothing to wear”?
8. Do you have “skinny” clothes? Do you have “fat” clothes?
9. How long does it take you to get dressed for work? Play? Special occasions?
10. Do you feel beautiful/powerful/attractive/professional every time you leave your house?

Once you identify the clutter, you can remove it and replace it with ideas and routines that support your well-being.  More on this in another post.

Just a reminder that I’ll be talking with Allison and Sara of “The Organizing Playground” about “Decluttering Body Image” today at noon at www.radiosandysprings.com.  I’m on in the second half of the show. (If you miss the live show, you can catch the replay at the link for “The Organizing Playground”.)

Today’s tip comes from the “Love Your Body Day” campaign:

Develop a creative outlet. Everyone needs a medium to express daily stress and frustrations constructively. Maybe you’re a photographer, writer, poet or all three. Maybe you can knit, make shapes out of clay or finger paint. Loving your body is also about loving your mind.

Find your art and let your body create.

Tune into www.radiosandysprings.com on Tuesday at noon for my interview with the ladies of “The Organizing Playground” on “Decluttering Body Image.” I’m on in the second half of the show. (If you miss the live show, you can catch the replay at the link for “The Organizing Playground”.)

As part of their “Be Comfortable in Your Genes” campaign, NEDA is encouraging all of us to go through our closets and donate any jeans that don’t fit.  So, in line with their challenge, Tip #25 is:

Only wear clothes that you love, that fit you well, and that make you feel your best.

If you are keeping clothes in your closet that don’t fit well or no longer fit at all then you are creating negative energy around your body image that will hit you every time you open the closet door.  Better to have a few fabulous garments than a closet full of clothes that make you feel bad.

And by donating the clothes that don’t fit you anymore you are helping someone in need.  That’s making two happy people with one pair of jeans (or one shirt, one dress, etc.)

Today marks the beginning of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and NEDA’s theme this year is our tip for the day:

Embrace your genes.

The goal of the campaign is to encourage all of us to work with the size and shape determined by our genes. Check out www.embraceyourgenes.com for info on finding jeans that really fit or on donating to NEDA.

Tip #23 is purely physical:

Unleash your inner athlete.

Sometimes we don’t fully participate in life because we feel that we don’t have the “right” body for an activity. As a result, we don’t get to experience the satisfaction that comes from stretching ourselves physically and learning something new. What physical activity have you been avoiding? Have you tried ice skating, rock climbing, running, or dancing? Pick an activity that you’ve resisted and give it a try. You’ll be impressed at how your body responds.