Attic Tales

Summer is fast approaching and women are rapidly discarding their winter clothing. Not in my bedroom unfortunately; but just because I’m not actually seeing anyone undress up close and personal, doesn’t mean I can’t look from afar. And here in Montreal, it’s definitely a feast for the eyes, and a buffet for my libido. Back in a few minutes…I’m hor…um…I mean…hungry.

Here’s a mostly harmless disclaimer for you: As a lesbian, over the years I’ve stated loudly and with great enthusiasm that I love women; regardless of whether they are thin, lean, slender, plump, curvy, or rubenesque. I’ve dated women of all shapes and sizes and felt honoured and privileged that they would permit me to be their lover and let me see them naked.

Every day, we’re bombarded with images of women who are considered to be sexy and beautiful, and for the most part, they are. However, the media isn’t representing ALL women, only the skinny ones. And to make matters worse, skinny fictional ones. You only have to look at the Dove commercials to realize that the “ideal” woman doesn’t exist and there’s absolutely no way she ever will…unless inbreeding and genetic modification are your areas of expertise.

So why am I ranting about stuff I’m sure you already know? I feel that as a woman who claims to love women, that I have a responsibility to not be superficial when it comes to how I perceive women and their looks. I’m certainly not going to lie and say I would date every woman on the planet…I do need to be attracted to her nonetheless. Nor am I going to be a hypocrite and say I’ve never judged a woman on her appearance. I’ve made fun of more than my share of mullets, hairy legs, out of control bushes and armpits, and questionable tastes in fashion.

Again, I never said I was a nice lesbian.

I am however telling you the truth when I say size has never been an issue for me. The only time it does become an issue is when someone’s health is at risk. I’ve had a few girlfriends who were overweight, and suffered from a slew of health problems, ranging from diabetes to heart disease. Thin women aren’t exempt either. I’ve had to deal with a few lovers and friends in my life that had eating disorders.

I’m not excluded from this whole weight issue either. Right up until the age of 27, I weighed 97 pounds. In the past 7 years, I’ve gained 41.5 pounds thanks to girlfriends who cooked really well, and a lazy metabolism that has slowed down.

While I’ve become a fan of my curves, and please forgive my ego, acquired a few fans who liked my curves too, I realized that along with the good, there’s been some bad happening as well. Back in December, when my weight reached 138.5 pounds, my energy levels were really low and my blood pressure was really high.

Also, at only 5 feet 2 inches and ONE QUARTER, I wasn’t in the range that is considered healthy for a woman in my age group. That’s when I said enough was enough.

Because I don’t play sports and detest going to a gym, I decided that I wasn’t going to do anything drastic but just make little changes that would barely cause me any irritation and frustration:

• I don’t skip breakfast.
• I drink more water.
• I cut down on sweets (chocolate every other day instead of every day).
• I eat more fruits and vegetables, especially at around 3pm when I’m in the mood to snack.
• I drink 3 cups of green tea per day.
• I use the stairs instead of the escalators.
• I walk from the metro (subway) to my house every day which takes 20 minutes.

By incorporating all of these things slowly but surely on a daily basis, in the space of 6 months, I’ve lost 12 pounds. I succeeded because I decided not to put any emphasis on losing weight fast. My goal was simply to be healthier.

I still have about 10 more pounds to go…so now I’m going to walk from home to the metro in the morning, and begin doing weights. I also have been trying to use my exercise ball…but I keep falling off the damn thing.

I think it’s normal that we put a lot of emphasis on our outsides. We all suffer from a bit of vanity and shallowness at times. But it’s important we not forget our insides as well. Remember this…a healthy you is a wonderful bonus for your partner.

I know that when my insides feel good, I actually feel better about my outsides. Which is great for when I’ll actually have someone undressing in front of me in my bedroom.