Body Positivity

Dear reader,

Here is my promised next post: Now that I'm almost a college graduate, I've become very nostalgic. Recently I was looking back through some old pictures from high school, and I can barely recognize myself from 9th grade. Because I was thin. Not like rail thin. Really not thin at all, actually. I think I was about a size 12-14 then, but compared to now, the difference is astounding. I think to myself, "Wow, I looked so good!" but I don't remember ever feeling like that at the time. I was too preoccupied with how fat I was compared to everyone else. Looking back at the pictures though, you can barely tell that I was bigger than everyone else. I blended in. Unfortunately, the problem with my self esteem goes way back. I was the chubby kid in elementary school, and for the majority of middle school for that matter. I was teased, some kids called me "fat" to my face, and I was miserable. Being so young, I didn't think much of my size, until I was made fun of, and I didn't understand why I was so much bigger. All of the kids at school seemed to eat the same food I did and we all did about the same amount of physical activity, so I didn't think there was anything I could do.

In middle school, my pediatrician became concerned and sent me to a nutritionist. Over the course of a year, my family improved our diet at home, switching from white bread to whole grain for example, and by the end of middle school I had lost 30 pounds. But I didn't really see a difference because the damage to my self image had been done. I never became health-obsessed, though I was always very conscious of what people thought of me, especially when I was eating. I felt their eyes watching me, judging me for the food I ate and for my size. Ironically, that was probably the best shape I have ever been in, but I couldn't appreciate it. Despite making gains towards health, during the summer between 10th and 11th grades, I broke my ankle. Over the next year and a half I had two surgeries to make repairs to my ankle, and every time I gained more weight. Exercise became even more of a challenge with my bad ankle, so I grew mostly apathetic about my weight.

In the news today, there seem to always be stories about "Body Shaming." Hearing about these stories makes my heart cry, because I have personally been the victim of people judging and making fun of my weight. You don't know what another person has been through, and if you are so bothered by a person's weight, find a more constructive way to tell them. Maybe invite them to do yoga with you instead of laughing at them behind their back. I promise you, most people who are overweight are well aware of it, and don't need you pointing it. If you're concerned for their health, and you know them well enough, tell them, but make sure to offer support when they need it. Be positive and encouraging as opposed to condescending and rude.
 

To sum it all up, my two main points are:

1. Appreciate your body. Human bodies are quite intricate and magnificent when you take the time to think about them. Your body does so much for you and it deserves your respect, whether you like how it looks or not. If you can appreciate your body for what it does, you will be one step closer to loving it.

2. Don't judge people by or for their weight. This should be common sense, but somehow it was overlooked. You don't know what others have gone through, so you have no right to judge them based on appearances only.