It may not shock you to hear that I’m very Type A. But maybe you haven’t noticed that I also have a subversive streak. If a rule doesn’t make sense to me or doesn’t seem to help me or someone else, I am deliberate about breaking it. Example: If I need to cross a neighborhood street, but the intersection has terrible sight lines, I will walk closer to the middle of the street to cross. I know this is jaywalking. I know it is against the law. I also know that when cars park close to the intersection, speeding vehicles making lazy right turns are unlikely to see my short body, and I might get hit. Instead of following the rules, I break the rules and protect myself.
So this way to conceptualize what it means to show love to my body appeals to me on a deep level. Diet culture is all about telling us that our bodies are wrong and flawed and our energy should be spent on manipulating them to attain “perfection.” The rule is you should eat only *just* enough. Food is fuel. It’s not supposed to be pleasurable. Well, I have news for you: Food is delicious! It is often pleasurable! So I’m going to flaunt those diet rules. And I’ll just be here eating delicious chocolate chip scones and reveling in the idea that showing my body love this way can be a subversive act.
