Am I an Instrument or an Ornament?
February 25, 2014 by Amy Leigh Mercree
Filed under Activism, Body Image, Empowerment, Exercise, Featured, Guys, Healthy Eating, Loving Your Body, Media Literacy, Moms & Sisters, Role Models, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Wellness
I just read a wonderful article on The Huffington Post. In it, Jennifer Aniston interviewed Gloria Steinem about life and feminism in 2014. It’s full of tons of great information but one especially potent statement stuck with me. Steinem said that women are taught to think of our bodies as ornaments and men are taught […]
Empowered Dating: Loving Yourself, Having a Blast, & Treasuring What’s Important
November 20, 2013 by Amy Leigh Mercree
Filed under Body Image, Empowerment, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Freedom, Guys, Livin in the Moment, Loving Your Body, Mindfulness, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Stress Management, Wellness
What does it really mean to be empowered? Confident. Secure. Self-assured. Yes, but also striving, learning, seeking to grow. And even more than that, there can be vulnerability in empowerment. In fact, there can be anything within an empowered person because the essence of empowerment is self-acceptance. A person who accepts herself can learn confidence […]
High School Reunion: Friend or Foe?
July 1, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Anxiety, Body Image, Depression, Empowerment, Expressive Arts, Fat Acceptance, Fat Talk, Featured, Guys, Loving Your Body, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Obesity, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Stress Management, Weight Stigma, Wellness, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation
About a year ago, I was approached by my high school class president about heading up a committee for our class reunion (okay, I actually brought the subject up to him, so technically I volunteered…WHY do I bring these things on myself?!). Fast-forward 6 months, and things were shaping up well, including my creating a […]
BODY EMPOWERMENT – “Emasculation & Race with Justin Woo”
June 26, 2013 by Caroline Rothstein
Filed under Activism, Body Image, Featured, Guys
As part of the weekly Wednesday posting of my ongoing YouTube series “Body Empowerment,” here’s “Emasculation & Race with Justin Woo (Body Empowerment 73)” originally posted January 7, 2013, on YouTube.com by Caroline Rothstein. In this video, guest Justin Woo talks about his experience with feeling emasculated and the impact on his body image as an Asian […]
Lessons Learned From Zach Sobiech
May 24, 2013 by Arianna Merritt
Filed under Body Image, Featured, Guys, Healthy Coping, Media Literacy, Mental Health, Music, Role Models, Self Esteem, Sharing Feelings, Voice, Wellness
As you know, I love sharing stories of people who have impacted my journey. I was saddened to find out that a beautiful soul, Zach Sobiech, lost his battle to cancer earlier this week. Zach was only 18 years old when he died but in his short time he embraced life to the fullest. His […]
Paying It Forward
March 26, 2013 by Matt Wetsel
Filed under Body Image, Eating Disorders, Guys, Males with Eating Disorders
The Spring Lobby Day with the Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) is coming up, and it’s got me reflecting on how I got involved as an activist, writer, and advocate. In 2007, a friend was trying to organize an event for Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and she was trying to get guest speakers to come and […]
Emma Bell’s Painfully Powerful True Body Image War Story
March 12, 2013 by Robyn Hussa Farrell
Filed under Body Image, Empowerment, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Guys, Healthy Communication, Loving Your Body, Moms & Sisters, Role Models, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Talking To Kids
The talented and generous Emma Bell shares with Real Deal her painful story of being bullied … When I was 6 years old I got in trouble for kissing my ‘boyfriend’ in preschool during reading. We thought we’d get married. When I was in 1st grade I serenaded the boy I liked with a rousing […]
Meet Matt Wetsel, the Newest WATRD Contributor
February 22, 2013 by Matt Wetsel
Filed under Anorexia, Body Image, Eating Disorders, EDNOS, Featured, Guys, Males with Eating Disorders, Mental Health
Hello, Real Deal readers! My name is Matt Wetsel and I wanted to introduce myself as one of the newest contributors to ‘We Are the Real Deal.’ I’m excited by the premises and guidelines of the Real Deal pledge, and I’m looking forward to adding my own experience and voice to the already excellent body […]
A Letter to My Teenage Self
June 24, 2012 by mamaV
Filed under Body Image, Depression, Empowerment, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Guys, Healthy Communication, Mental Health, Moms & Sisters, Parents, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Harm, Suicide, What to Say, How to Say It
This guest post graciously submitted by Ashley Kervabon. To my dearest younger self, I want you to look in the mirror and tell me what you see. Not-so-clear skin, not-so-straight teeth, curves in all of the wrong places and let’s not forget those (only) B cups. Your eyes are pretty, color-changing in the sun, but […]
Stop lying to yourself about your eating habits
June 15, 2012 by mamaV
Filed under Athletes, Binge Eating, Cooking and Culinary Arts, Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders, Empowerment, Expressive Arts, Fat Acceptance, Featured, Guys, HAES, Loving Your Body, Males with Eating Disorders, Recovery, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation
This Guest Post graciously submitted by Juan I used to have an eating disorder, actually I still do, I’m just no longer lying to myself and in total denial of it. When I was at school and college I was very active. I was always in a Lacrosse team and got into the outdoors in […]
