The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living is a lifestyle blog created for and by overweight women who are tired of missing out on really living because of internal and external weight-related pressures and self-perceptions.

If you’re like us, you’ve put off countless things – vacations, sports, new careers, even meeting new people – until you’ve reached an ideal number on the scale or fit back into the jeans you wore in high school. But getting there can be a long road, right? And that road is full of lots of opportunities for a fun, fulfilling life in the meantime. Why miss them?

Through fresh, original content, FGG offers practical advice and resources for women sizes 14 + up as we navigate the often tricky balance of being an overweight woman and living a rich, rewarding life full of all the things we’d love to do today.

Is FGG for you? Take the test!

Would you love to try kayaking but you’re too afraid your butt won’t squeeze into the seat?

Are you tired of missing out on good food and friends because you’re afraid everyone will be focused on your weight?

Does your body image hold you back from going after great new jobs or promotions?

Do you really want to go horseback riding but you’re afraid you might hurt the horse?

Are you tired of the fat girl fashion = frumpy equation?

Do you wish you had an inside source for all the best fat-friendly spots in Chicago, LA, New York, Miami…anywhere?

Are you tired of all the weight loss/dieting noise and ready to get busy on real physical and mental health?

Do you crave a community of people who, like you, are ready to change their self-perception regardless of size?

Do you hate that you put stuff off that you’d love to do or try until you’re a magical size or number on the scale?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we belong in your RSS reader! You can also follow us on Twitter, or become a fan of FGG on Facebook. If you’d like to get to know our team, head on over here.

For feedback, story ideas*, suggestions or questions, send us an email at letters@fatgirlsguidetoliving.com.

* We’re always looking for guest posts on topics of interest to our readers. If you’re a fat girl with a story to tell (maybe you’ve learned to sew your own cute sundresses, decided to take surfing lessons, or found a new way to embrace yourself here and now) we want to hear it. If your product, book, or shop are absolutely perfect for overweight women who are ready to embrace life here and now, get in touch.

Frequently Asked Questions

So is FGG part of the “fat acceptance” movement?
We like to think we’re our own movement, but we support everyone from the most passionate of fat acceptance advocates to the women who are tired of being overweight and see weight loss as their own path to health. We are big supporters of the HAES (health at any size concept), which means we know better than to think that being overweight automatically means being unhealthy or unhappy, or that being thin automatically translates into health and happiness.

That said, our editors, along with many of our readers, are actively working to shed some of the extra pounds weighing us down, with the primary goal being less about the scale and more about getting stronger and more flexible and having more energy. But we’re working even harder at shedding the self-perception that we’re not already beautiful, important, fun, vital, vibrant, entirely adorable, lovable and very able girls (women, chicks, females, babes, ladies) just the way we are.

You’re saying FGG isn’t a diet, exercise or otherwise “cure for fat” web site?
That’s exactly what we’re saying. The diet and weigh loss market has been covered and then some, and we know that everyone who reads here knows where to go to get that kind of advice. We’re here to put that aside for a little while and to help overweight women to enjoy who they are right now, even if they’re working on evolving a leaner version of themselves. Or not!

Isn’t it politically incorrect to call someone a “fat girl?”
Maybe, but we’re here to get real, and the tell-it-like-it-is approach is embedded in our mission. Fat is just another word that describes our physical selves, like tall or serious or brunette, and I’d love to see it stripped of its power to make us feel bad. So rather than be embarrassed or imprisoned by it, we plan to have some fun with it.

We also use the word girl a lot, whether we’re referring to kids, teenagers, college students, wives, moms, seniors or anyone in between. In our experience, that stifled part of us that wants to come out and play is often very “girlish,” even if we don’t admit it.

I see a lot of web sites bashing skinny chicks, and/or being very focused on the victimization of fat people. Is that your gig, too?
Nope. Thin girls aren’t without their own negative self-perceptions, either, and we’re all in this together. This web site happens to be for those of us with fat-related body image issues, but if you’re 120 lbs you still feel fat, or you find yourself here enjoying our content anyway, by all means join us. We’ll welcome you with open, even if soft, sometimes jiggling arms.

The victim mentality? It serves no one but the author, and not in any positive way. We’re all in charge of how we feel about ourselves. The minute we give that away, we invite trouble and self doubt and perpetuate stereotypes about ourselves. We’ve got better things to do than mope over someone else’s ignorant opinion of us. Like hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, taking cruises, having great sex, practicing yoga, rock climbing, snowshoeing…