Like many of you out in More Of Me To Love land, I watched the first episode of More To Love last Tuesday. I was all set to avoid the show entirely, when a very savvy friend of mine who owns a very awesome plus sized vintage store reminded me that my clients would be watching and probably interested in discussing the show.

She was right, and I’m glad I watched it, mainly for the fatshion and the fact that it gave me some food for thought, as it were.

For those of you who didn’t see it, More To Love is a "Bachelor" type show, where 20 or so women are vying for one bachelor. Women get eliminated in every episode until the bachelor chooses the final one, to whom he’ll likely propose. In this instance, the "Bachelor" is fat and all of the contestants are fat as well (despite not wanting to think of themselves that way).

Generally, I avoid "Bachelor" type shows as much as possible. I hate to see a bunch of women fighting over one guy in a desperate attempt to get married and score a bunch of money.

As a viewer, I find that it’s easy to get sucked into this view of the world. It’s easy to begin to believe in and connect with the view that potential mates are scarce, that dates and relationships are prizes to be desperately attracted, latched on to and kept at all costs - and that finding that right person is the only way to finally become complete.

What More To Love does is couch the hopelessness that people often feel when looking for relationships into something that is specifically caused by size. Again and again, the show’s contestants would talk about how all their skinny friends get the guys, how they’ve been dumped or never had a relationship, and how hard it is to find a guy who loves them for who they are. All of this is blamed on their sizes.

So the question I’d like to pose to you is, do the thoughts and assumptions posited in this show really reflect reality?

I have fat friends who are married and are in committed relationships. I also have fat friends who are single and dating or single and not dating all that much. I also have thin friends who are married and in committed relationships and thin friends who are single and dating or single and not dating all that much.  I have thin friends who have been dumped for no reason or bad reasons or mean reasons, and I have fat friends who have been dumped for no reason or bad reasons or mean reasons.

I know that I can’t be the only one with friends like this. People run into issues with dating and relationships. Fat, thin or in between.

If you find yourself thinking that you’ll never have a great relationship because of your size, I want you take that assumption and turn it around. I guarantee that you know someone who is fat and has a great relationship or lots of fun dating. Rather than thinking that can never be you, spend more time with this friend or friends; see what that person does, ask for tips, ask if they’ll be your wingman or wingwoman. Toss out the assumptions and fake reality of so-called reality shows, and create your own reality with you as the star of the show!

(By the way, fellow New Yorkers, I am a fat-tastic wingwoman.)

 

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And check out the other experts’ great tips this week.

Golda is a certified holistic health counselor and founder of Body Love Wellness. She counsels women and men throughout the country on how to get off the dieting roller coaster, give their bodies what they really crave, and love their bodies and themselves. Golda's counseling and activism work have been featured on CBS's The Early Show, ABC's Nightline and Time Out New York. For more support with healing your relationship with food and your body, get your free copy of Golda's Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining by clicking here.