Sticking to that New Year’s resolution!

We often chronicle the overt hate mail we get, but those of us with email addresses ending in “@feministing.com” are also regularly inundated with email from PR shops who are under the impression that, because a large percentage of our readers are women, we must want to run the same sort of crap that mainstream ladymags do. And often, I find that mail to be just as offensive as the “shut your trap and make me a sammich” sorts of love notes we get.

Take, for example, this email I got yesterday:

Hi Ann,

Did you know that nearly 75% of Americans fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions each year regarding weight-loss!? Every time January 1st rolls around people find themselves saying “this year will be different,” but come March 1st they still have yet to shed the winter weight they packed on.

I’d like to offer you tips from Dr. Sanford Siegal a renowned weight-loss and obesity expert who is available to discuss the top reasons why people have such a hard time sticking to their New Year’s weight-loss goals. Dr. Siegal can discuss:

· Best ways to get your New Year’s resolutions started
· Tips and tricks to stay on track
· Do’s and Don’ts of New Year’s resolutions
· Common reasons why people’s resolutions fail
· Practical goals to set for yourself

Please let me know if you are interested in Dr. Siegal’s tips and tricks for any New Year’s resolutions/weight loss stories you may be planning and I would be happy to arrange. Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Danielle

A lot of feminist women I know are not constantly recommitting to losing weight — they are constantly recommitting to the idea that they do not need to lose weight. To reconciling their beliefs (all body sizes are beautiful!) with the fact that most of us have internalized some pretty shitty messages about which bodies are attractive and which are not. So when I read this email I thought, you know, I really *would* like some body-related New Years tips… just not the sort Danielle was offering.

So here’s what I sent back:

Hi Danielle,

Did you know that nearly 75% of feminists fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions to stop hating their bodies? Every time January 1st rolls around, they find themselves saying, “this one will be different,” but come March 1st they still have yet to shed the patriarchy and the body-shame it has packed on.

I’d like to offer you tips from the community at Feministing.com, renowned lovers of women of all sizes, who are available to discuss top reasons why people (even feminists!) have such a hard time grasping the idea that women of every size are gorgeous. The Feministing community can discuss:

· Best ways to get your body-loving New Year’s resolutions started
· Tips and tricks to stay on track
· Do’s and Don’ts of New Year’s resolutions
· Common reasons why people’s resolutions fail
· Practical goals to set for yourself

Please let me know if you are interested in the Feministing community’s tips and tricks for any New Year’s resolutions/body-love stories you may be planning and I would be happy to arrange. Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Ann

So what about it? What are your “tips and tricks” for lining up your feminist ideals about body image with your own personal body image? Would love to pass them along to this sad weight-loss PR lady. Then ask her to take me off her list.

* Note: I know we’re not always very good about catching those awful weight-loss ads that sometimes pop up on Feministing. So along with any personal body-loving resolutions, the editors here are committed to doing what we can (vis a vis our ad systems) to get those off of here.

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