Body positivity. Fat and fit. Straight size. Real women have curves. Blah, blah, blah …

• 10.5% of the U.S. population has diabetes
• 34.5% of the adult U.S. population has prediabetes with an estimated 21.4% undiagnosed
• 36% of the U.S. adult population is obese; another 32% are overweight
• AND 19.3% of those under the age 2-19 are obese

And this is unacceptable. Completely and totally unacceptable. Yet this movement of body positivity and “fat but fit” and “size acceptance” is running the world like a moron bot has taken over and people are falling for it. And I don’t get it.

To be clear, yes, I know as do most people, that there is no cookie-cutter right size for everyone. We are all different and some people are more naturally geared to being a size 4, while others a size 12. But a size 24? Ummm no. No way. No f’ing way.

A few months ago I was asked to help run a promotion for diabetes awareness. I created some print ads and social media posts and did so with a bit of a “slap in the face” approach. And you know what happened? Two things: one, the social media posts got more interaction than ANY other posts the organization has EVER published … people were talking … people were commenting … people were asking questions … people were reading. But, then the second thing happened: a few people got their feathers ruffled (yes, there’s an underlying pun there for anyone who actually knows what campaign I’m referencing) and were upset because the, and I quote, “… the messaging was negative.” Ummmm excuse me? Are you serious? Hello!! Public health messaging is serious shit and it isn’t always supposed to make people feel better about themselves. It’s supposed to raise awareness to health risks and sometimes, it’s the slapping in the face that needs to happen before people actually get it.

It’s time people take a long hard look in the mirror and wake the F up! Make some hard choices. Put the potato chips back on the shelf and get off the damn couch and outside and move your damn body.

Caveat, I will add that I am not a fan of what I’ll call the “sexing” of fitness. It’s far, far too much of a reach for most women (and men) to strive to look like some of the fitness models that are plastered over every page of “active” clothing catalogs. Ladies … there’s a reason men keep those stupid catalogs in the bathrooms. Seriously. I mean enough with all the damn sports bras with boobs hanging out over a perfectly toned stomach while eating a cheeseburger … and I’m sorry, but no one who is really working out hard does so with their damn hair down. Put it in a ponytail, please. Because when I see ads like that I am appalled. It’s so dumb. PUT THE FUCKING HAIR UP!!! (And the girl with the doughnut, she’s not gonna eat it. Just so you know. She just thought it was pretty, the pink frosting and all.)

So please, if you are reading this … love your body because it’s YOURS. Love your body for all the good it can do … for the power it allows you. For the movement it brings. And if you need to lose weight, start doing something—anything. I know it’s easier to eat the french fries from the fast food joint than it is to bake a potato, but I promise, nothing tastes better than being healthy : )

OK … sorry, not sorry. I already know some people will read this but not heed what I’m saying. And some will stop half way through and just send me some hate email without reading this post in its entirety, and before taking a few minutes to think. And that’s OK. I’ve gotten my fair share of hate email … heck, just yesterday someone sent me a one sentence email: “You are incredibly stupid.” So there you have it … I’m just plain stupid. Like the moron bot that’s taken over the world : ) Hell, maybe he and I can be friends. At least my man has my six.

DISCLAIMER: Our recipes are just that, ours. Some are modified versions of dishes we’ve had elsewhere or old-favorites that contained animal proteins that we replaced with plant-based options, while others are a concentrated effort of trial and error. But all are intended to be altered by you and made to suit your tastes. So if you want more garlic or none at all, go for it. You do you ; ) Now for the serious part … periodically this site does offer health, nutrition and exercise information. The information provided is not intended as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice given by a licensed physician or other health-care professional. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, consult your physician and never delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.