OK, let’s tell it like it is. We mothers must not complain about our weight in front of our kids. No matter how much the girdle smarts or the muffin top droops. Nope, nope, nope. We cannot lead them down the path of (m)anorexia or thinking that a human being’s value is attached to his or her waistline- which it is, but let’s recall that this is a guide for “responsible lying” and not some cockamamie feel-good blog for those of us who wonder how many calories we burned by choosing the oatmeal over the chocolate chip cookie.
So, allow me to recall a recent event that took place with my daughter and how I handled the potential psychological damage she might have suffered had I cowardly told the truth. I shall paint the scene. We were all hanging out on the couch, bonding and enjoying family movie night. After a couple of pieces of pizza and some wine, I rearranged my body mass into a reclining position, and in an effort to look sultry for my husband, pulled up my pants a bit and discretely tucked in an unruly roll under the agonizingly uncomfortable size 12 slim-fit stretch jeans with flattening front panel. Now these pants deliver, people, but I am certain that the significant amount of fat they hide is lurking painfully somewhere in the neighborhood of my ascending colon. 
At any rate, we must remember that the little people are always on the watch, picking up on our bad habits and reading into everything we do disfavorably. You know, prepping for puberty when they can give us the old one-two sucker punch to the heart. So, as I was going mano a mano with said paunch, I heard a snort coming from my left where my daughter was unsuccessfully trying to repress her giggles.
“What are you laughing at, pray tell?”
“What are you trying to do with your belly?” Now, I love my first-born with all my heart and soul, but at that moment, I was not so keen on her, if you know what I mean.
“I am getting comfortable.”
“But you were trying to hide your belly.”
“No, no, no! You are quite mistaken! I am not in the least ashamed of my body! I am not trying to hide anything! I am very comfortable in my own skin.” I had hit the trifecta of lies.
“So why are you trying to put your belly away?” Never has a participle been more passive aggressive.
“Because these pants are super comfortable and they help regulate my digestion.”
“Really? How?”
“By creating a compact environment that aligns my internal organs in such a way that they facilitate food traction and bile secretion that then further breaks down nutrients that are absorbed by my intestines, which then allows vitamins to enter the bloodstream and feed my muscles, bones and organs, preventing disease and promoting overall health. It’s a thing.”
“Wow!” She exclaimed admiring my pants’ front panel.
“Yeah, wow!”chimed in my husband.
So, as you can see, I not only skirted the dangerous all too prevalent negative-body-image syndrome, I also encouraged an awareness, however inaccurate, of physical well-being. Granted all this at the expense of my husband getting a glimpse into the mysterious world of body shaping outerwear. I wonder if he continues to believe my claims that I still am a size 6, which I have never been…?
The Lying Guide 