How I learned to love my body
When I look in the mirror, I own what I see. I’m fat and I feel just fine saying that. My shift in perspective was born upon discovering the fat acceptance movement. The people look like me and they understand that differences in size are complex (genetic, physical, mental, cultural, etc.), but that all people deserve respect.
Stop and consider how you think of fat people. Do you mock them? Do you shun them? Do you criticize them? Do you suggest diet and exercise plans to them? Do you assume they are fat as the result of some moral deficiency? If you even considered answering yes to any of those questions, please consider that if you can’t respect others, you can’t respect yourself.
For 28 years, I thought fat=bad and since I was fat, I was bad. But when I changed the way I thought about fat, I could finally change the way I thought about myself. Now I can focus on my health (that’s health, not size or weight). I’m getting an annual pass to the local rec. center so I can swim everyday…something I hadn’t done in 8 years before last month. Will I lose weight? I don’t know and, frankly, I don’t care. I’m just happy that I am comfortable enough with myself to do what I enjoy.
Amen.