A great article in the Contra Costa Times about fat acceptance. The article discusses women who appreciate themselves the way they are and who don’t feel they need to lose weight. I especially liked that they cited a doctor who evaluated his fat patient’s overall health, and didn’t look at fat alone as requiring intervention.
So why is a woman who lost over 100 lbs digging an article about women who have no plans to lose weight? It’s all about being happy and comfortable in the skin you’re in. I got a lot of support and help from the fat acceptance movement back in the day. It said it was ok to be who I was. It was ok to look after my health, and to exercise. It was ok to be social, to have dates, and to have self-respect. It said I didn’t have to apologize for who I was, or make excuses.
When I did start losing weight, it was from a place of self-respect and love, not hatred and shame. Making major life changes is hard, and it’s even harder if there’s a lot of emotional baggage around what you “should” be doing.
Truth is, most of us never look like we want to look. And it’s a lot easier to take care of ourselves if we actually care for ourselves, first. Whatever our size.
