Bikini Confidence: Meghan Telpner

Meghan is Chubby and Likes it That Way


Meghan Telpner’s blog Making Love in the Kitchen was the launching point for my own personal food revolution. Before I started reading it I was eating yoghurt with aspartame and textured vegetable protein and thinking that I was a healthy eater. Through reading her blogs and participating in her Green Smoothie cleanses I have learned to appreciate real, whole foods and how what we eat impacts every aspect of our health. I’m so glad that she let me publish one of my favourite of her posts as part of the Bikini Confidence series: I’d Rather Be Chubby.

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Weight is such a tricky issue when it comes to health. Skinny does not equal healthy- but weight seems to be what drives most of our health related decisions- whether to exercise, whether to order a salad, whether to celebrate with a piece of chocolate cake. The thing is, when we feel well and when we are truly happy from way deep inside, our weight becomes less of an issue.

Why would I rather be chubby? I was skinny once upon a sick sick time.

I was skinny when I was sick but never saw the beauty of it. I just saw sickness and tiredness. I got lots of compliments too which totally screwed up my self-image. I kept being asked  how I had lost all that weight. Twenty pounds in one month. At five feet tall- and starting at 130 pounds, that is a huge amount of weight to lose in a very short time. What was my secret? As if anyone really wanted the details of what I was going through with Crohn’s Disease. I may have looked great with my skinny jeans falling off me,  but I couldn’t leave my bathroom and my thick curly hair had lost it’s curl and was falling out in handfuls.

Bobblehead-like with thinning hair. This was the weekend up at the cottage following my colonoscopy. I hadn't been able to eat solid food in about three weeks and despite the smile, I think it's clear in my dozey eyes how icky I was feeling.

The craziest thing about this time in my life was that I had never been sicker and had never had more people tell me how great I looked. As I began gaining weight back, when my disease went into remission, I became very self-conscious about this weight. I was often told how healthy I looked and would wonder if it might just be a nice way of saying ‘fat’. I had been trying to squeeze into my ‘Crohn’s wardrobe’ for two years  and only recently packed it up to give away. I am just not meant to wear those tiny jeans and though it has taken some time to accept, I am now fully a-okay with that.

When I work with clients who need to gain weight, I can tell you there is nothing harder. Any of us who have ever had a challenge with our weight and struggled to lose it have no idea what people go through who are sick and can’t gain a pound.

What I know for sure is this: I would rather buy new jeans than be sick again. I would rather not look as conventionally perfect in a bikini than be sick again. I would rather have thick curly hair and nails that grow than be sick again.  I would rather be able to travel and eat at restaurants, sleep through the night, have a boyfriend,  toast a best friend’s wedding with champagne, wake up in the morning full of energy and excited about the day to come than be sick again. I would rather spend my day in the kitchen, cooking up amazing whole food based creations, be five pounds overweight and healthy, than living off pureed soup, rice cakes and liquid meal replacements.

I’d rather be a little chubby, with a fuller bottom, rounder face, clearer skin, thicker hair and feel wonderfully vibrant, clear-headed, excited about life,  healthy and happy, than ever have to be sick again.

What would you rather be? What’s most important to you? The way you look or the way you feel? Are you able to make these co-exist? Are you at a place of optimum health? What does health look and feel like to you?

See Original Post.

Bio

Meghan Telpner is a certified nutritionist and holistic lifestyle consultant with a private practice in downtown Toronto and a client base that extends around the world, from Mozambique to Australia. Meghan provides an array of nutritional and lifestyle services that range from weekly group cooking classes to corporate programs and personal consultations. Meghan is the official nutrition blogger for The National Post and her own blog Making Love In The Kitchen. She has become well recognized in Toronto for her colourful presence, with her bicycle covered in flowers and a flag on the back boasting the phrase, “Feel Good? Feel Great!”   With humour and passion, Meghan inspires people to take a look at their lives and to start living their dreams now. Meghan’s enthusiasm, charisma, positive energy and dynamism are truly motivating and inspiring.

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This post is part of the Bikini Confidence Series. If you missed them, check out Heather’s Bikini Confidence post here and Nicole’s post here.

If you have a story to share about your own struggles with body image or your opinion on how women’s body image is affected by media or society please feel free to e-mail me your idea at samanthaamenzies@gmail.com.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 8:24 pm and is filed under Bikini Confidence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

14 Responses to “Bikini Confidence: Meghan Telpner”

  1. Meghan (Making Love In The Kitchen Says:
    July 25th, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    Thank you for sharing!

  2. Tweets that mention Bikini Birthday » Blog Archive » Bikini Confidence: Meghan Telpner -- Topsy.com Says:
    July 25th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

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  3. wendy Says:
    July 25th, 2010 at 9:09 pm

    Wow, it’s amazing to read another person’s account of how I feel. I don’t have Crohn’s but I have other digestive disorders that lead me to be sick for years with weight loss. I went through the same thing where people said I looked great but I couldn’t eat anything. I also studied Nutrition to help myself and it changed my life. I’m sick less, and weigh more but I am so much more happier. I was just thinking today that I like how I fill out my clothes better now than before.
    Thank you for posting this. It’s a reminder to all of us to evaluate our own personal health and stop worrying about what others do.

  4. Sarah Says:
    July 25th, 2010 at 10:26 pm

    I can identify. I lost quite a bit of weight before I went gluten-free. Not 20lbs, but enough that people noticed and enough that my smallest pair of jeans was too loose on me. It was great being that weight, but I slept all the time, was never hungry and couldn’t open a door by myself. I couldn’t pour myself a glass of milk because I was so weak. No contest there.

    Nice series!

  5. Joanna Sutter (Fitness & Spice) Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 7:37 am

    Can I get an amen?! I know how to get really lean but at the sacrifice of my energy levels to perform well at home, work and in the gym…no to mention it puts a damper on my mood and social life.

    Now I like to eat a well balanced diet with a healthy (not excessive) workout program and I celebrate my health not my weight.

  6. darryn (brio.gusto) Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 9:07 am

    I LOVED this post when Meghan first wrote it. Great idea to re-publish. She is seriously inspiring.

  7. Fit Chick in the City Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 9:30 am

    I love this post and love this series!

  8. tanyasDailyProductReviews Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 11:10 am

    great post

  9. Holly @ couchpotatoathlete Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 11:58 am

    That was a great post and I too love this series!

    I am working on accepting myself more for who I am and what I look like. I am trying to realize how strong and healthy my body is and to not get hung up on little details (like if I sit down in a certain way my leg looks “big”). I am happy and healthy and I am amazed by what my body can do (running, exercise, etc).

  10. Beth @ DiningAndDishing Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 1:36 pm

    I think this is the best story yet! It is so true. I have never been skinnier than when my appendix was leaking and I had it removed. But I was so sick then! I’d choose this weight and my health any day.

  11. kalli@fitandfortysomething Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    so true! people think skinny equates healthy and that is so not always true-thank you meghan!

  12. Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    Thank you for sharing…this was a beautiful post!

  13. kelsey@snackingsquirrel.com Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 9:44 pm

    wow, and i just checked our ur site Meghan, which looks really snazzy and colorful!

    i must say that ur post brings up an amazing open topic! i think many girls really want to feel like they can accept who they are, maybe they realize they love being their size but the consistent message of “not good enough” keeps them doubting and striving to look a way that their bodies cannot handle. it scares me to think of how many men, women, boys, and girls are pressured to do something about their figure to fit an image when all they need is support to love and appreciate their bodies as unique and healthy. you are amazing!! im so happy you are a beautiful and glowing reminder and role model! <3

  14. Kenzie (Healthy Purpose) Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 10:48 pm

    this is really inspiring! I would rather be chubby too. and be radiantly happy and knowledgeable about food and whole living. thanks for sharing this!