Paris still isn't made for plus sizes
And the other pieces you read, shared, and returned to this past year.
Looking back on 2025, one piece resonated above the rest. I wrote it on a lark, just some loose thoughts after my first trip to Paris, and it took off. It spoke to a few things at once: the reputation of the French (both their friendliness and their impossible thinness), the body image baggage we carry when traveling, and the universal need to fit in.
I heard from so many people about their own fears about visiting the City of Light and measuring themselves against impossible standards … I felt so seen.
While I wouldn’t say there was a clear pattern between the Paris piece and my other most-read (and often most-commented) pieces of 2025, what they share is recognition, a naming of the experiences many of us feel but don’t always have language for.
Almost Sated has always been that kind of place. For pushing back gently (and sometimes not so gently) against the idea that we need to shrink, optimize, or resolve ourselves before we’re allowed to fully live.
For those of you who are newer here, these pieces offer a good sense of what this space is about. If this space feels like something you’d like to return to, you’re welcome to subscribe. And if you’ve been reading along for a while, thank you for being here, for sharing these essays, and for making space for growth while pushing back against the narrative that you’re broken or in need of fixing.
Paris isn't made for plus sizes (but I went anyway)
Every time I travel now, I see the world through the lens of a larger body.
Feeling fat vs. being fat: Who gets to claim fatness?
Most of us, regardless of our size or level of body acceptance, don’t want to be fat, let alone call ourselves fat.
What I wish I had known about eating disorders sooner
The last time I wrote about eating disorders, I was shocked by how little engagement it got. Maybe that’s because most of us have a complicated relationship with our bodies. We’ve normalized restriction, because we see weight gain as the bigger problem. I’ve heard women say they wished they had an eating disorder and others angry they didn’t have the “w…
Women are finally entering their Thor era
“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way,” the vet receptionist said, “but you look like Vincent D’Onofrio from his younger days, you know, when he played Thor in ‘Adventures in Babysitting’.”
When recovery isn't a straight line: What 'SLIP' teaches us about healing
When it comes to eating disorders, those of us with firsthand experience, whether as caregivers or sufferers, tend to think in extremes: you’re either in the grips of illness or fully recovered. There’s little recognition of the messy, often prolonged middle ground.
If you found your way to Almost Sated through one of these essays, I’m so glad you’re here. And if you shared, forwarded, liked, or took the time to leave a comment on any of my pieces this past year, thank you.
Your reading is what sustains this work.
Happy New Year!
I loved seeing SLIP in this roundup! I so appreciate your newsletter and the conversations you're sparking with it!