Wednesday, March 08, 2006

The skinny bug spreads to Pakistan



"These models look hungry, feed them!"


Just take a look at these models from Bargello Shop modelling the latest in Pakistani fashions. They are all skinny as a rail with no muscle tone. Apparently, this is what most of the girls in Pakistan look like, it's the "ideal look". Pakistani fashion boutiques don't sell Ready-to-Wear fashions in anything larger than a size 10. If you are bigger than a size 10, you need to haul your hefty butt to to a tailor who will custom make clothes for you.

My husband recently went to Pakistan to visit his family, and tried really hard to buy me a shalwar kameez suit from one of the trendy boutiques. Nearly all of them said, sorry we don't carry her size. Only one boutique, Maria B., seemed to empathize and altered their size L shirt to fit me.

Why has it come to this? They might as well hang a sign on their front door that says "Sorry we don't carry fat sizes." Is a size 12 really that big?

To make matters worse, I got a call from my Mom the other day. It started out pretty typical with a "Hi, how are the kids, blah blah blah," then she got to the point and said, "Actually, the real reason I'm calling you is to tell you that you are fat, you are starting to look like an "Auntie"(transalation: a woman as old as your mother whose plump body shows clear evidence she has had kids and didn't do anything to get her body back) and you are too young to look like that yet. You should look like a "larki" ( transalation: young girl with perky everything). You need to get get your body back and join a gym that has babysitting. Find out what the rate is, I'll pay for the membership."

My mother is very blunt (ya think?), but I know deep inside she has good heart with good intentions. She reminds me very much of Joy Behar from "The View". She is of the philosophy, "I'm your mother, if I don't tell you the truth, who will?"

My cousin in Pakistan was like "Why don't you just lose weight? Then you will be able to fit into boutique clothes." Okay, I get the message. I know I've been obsessing a little to much with handbags to avoid the fact that I still haven't lost the baby weight, mainly because I'm too tired and sleep deprived to even think of stepping on an elliptical. When the kids go down for a nap, I feel like napping too. But starting today I'll make an effort to eat right and start exercising. But who will eat my kids leftover mac n' cheese and tater tots? My mother's response, "If you want to lose weight don't be a garbage can." Now this statement, albeit a blunt statement, actually made sense. Thanks Mom for not beating around the bush and telling it like it is. I don't want to look like these models, but I'll be happy to get down to a healthy size 8.

4 comments:

Aisha said...

I think particularly the model in the white looks to skinny. Desi clothes look nice on normal looking girls. Maybe just me I guess.

Chic Mommy said...

I agree Aisha, but the snooty boutique madams don't think so. That's why they only sell size skinny, skinnier, and skinniest. There's no room for normal.

Virenda said...

I dislike the fact that they don't make anything bigger, how truly awful and rude!

~sigh~

eating right and being healthy is important for your sake as well as your kids and family but DON'T be extreme. It can get pretty scary when all you think about is the food you CAN NOT eat.

LOL, your mom IS blunt. She sounds a bit like my g=ma. ~wink~

I think the last thing your mom said, about NOT being a garbage can, IS SUCH GOOD ADVICE. I was doing the same thing and confused as to why I was a 12 instead of the natural 6 I am. Well it was all the crusts and chicken nuggets, etc.


Keep us updated and don't beat yourself up.

Lova ya.

Unknown said...

This is hysterical. I admit, it's been a long time since I visited the motherland, so I have no clue what passes for fashionable there these days. What bothers me more about the models though is how "gori" (is that the right word?) they are trying to make them look. That drives me nuts.

At least your mom is saying this stuff to your face. My mother apparently enjoys talking about me behind my back to relatives in Pakistan. As I found out one year when some came to visit in NY, saw me, and piped up - "I thought you said she was fat, she's skinny as a rail!" I just looked at my mom and seethed.

Post-baby, I feel your pain, and I only have one. I'm expecting again, and trying not to worry too much about the gain, but what has worked for me really well in the past was weight watchers. I know, I know. But seriously it taught me a lot I thought I already knew, and helped me develop a long term game plan.

Slow and steady. Little changes and little decisions that we make food-wise every day, in the end, amount to slow and consistent weight loss.