Kristel October 5th, 2007
It’s socially mandatory. When a bunch of women get together, the conversation automatically steers itself towards weight and weight issues. It doesn’t matter who started it, this conversation could go on and on for the next few weeks. And most women who participate in “fat talk” are hardly ever really fat.
I find that almost all the fat talk I’ve participated in involves either sitting in some chichi or snooty establishment where everything is so expensive that looking at the prices on the menu makes me feel like fasting. Sometimes it happens in a fast food chain while everyone’s gorging on greasy fries and even greasier burgers. The drinks are of course DIET sodas, because nobody wants to gain some unwanted poundage.
Continue Reading »
Lauren August 19th, 2007
I don’t need a calendar to know that I’ll be having my period in two weeks or less. As with all women who bleed from their uterus, I experience the usual pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms: breakouts, bloatedness, low energy, cravings for chocolate, and bouts of irrational crankiness that range from mild irritation to frightening breakdowns. While there is no set-in-stone cause of PMS, doctors hypothesize that the surge of hormones during the menstrual cycle may be the primary factor at work. Some of the really unlucky ones experience a more severe form of PMS called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, where a lack of serotonin in the brain intensifies the symptoms of “normal” PMS.
What I really can’t stand about other women and myself is how PMS is often used as an excuse to act out. I’ll admit that I’ve played the PMS card at moments where I snap because I simply can’t control my moods, and then I feel rather ashamed of myself afterwards. Here’s how you can keep yourself from going crazy and driving your friends away during the two weeks before your period.
Continue Reading »