As a morbidly obese woman, I spent over 30 years trying to "hide" my obesity from my friends, family, and of course, myself. After all, I was athletic, I was strong, I was a P.E. teacher for goodness sakes - how could I be obese?!
The truth is, I was obese for the same reason nearly 100 million Americans are - I simply ate more than I burned off on a daily basis. While it sounds so simplistic, that is the bottom line...more calories consumed (sometimes by 1000 per day) than I burned off in my sedentary life.
Many of us try to insist that we are big boned (I did), or have a slow metabolism (I did), or have some thyroid problem (I did and had it tested). But the painful understanding was that I made myself obese. I ate myself into morbid obesity. And that is where the shame came from - for me. I was the one who didn't, or wouldn't, (or COULDN'T) say no to the second and third helping of pasta, or pizza, or burgers and fries.
I realize that many people try to accept themselves as they are - and I am in 100% agreement! No one should let anyone else's words or actions make us feel shame!!! Only I have the power to do that.
Unfortunately, I didn't want to be fat, or obese, or big-boned. I wanted to be able to buy clothes off the shelf and feel stylish. I didn't want to be hollywood skinny! Just a size 14-16! That is where I felt shame - because no one had ever held a gun to my head and told me to eat. No one had ever stopped me from taking a walk.
As obesity becomes more of an issue in our society, the media continues to push the dangers of being morbidly obese. I can honestly say, health was a concern, but only a small one - I wanted to fit into those 34 jeans! I wanted to know that I was a normal size. That was my motivation.
If you are obese or just overweight and like your body - EXCELLENT! Don't let anyone, not a family member, a friend, a lover, a child, a stranger - NO ONE, take that from you. But if you are unhappy with your size; if you want to stop being obese, or maybe just stop getting larger, start looking today for safe, permanent solutions. There are many available, for free, by means of the internet. You can find friends, groups, coaches - whatever you need to get your body where YOU want it.
