I was reading an article on Yahoo called "What Losing 180 Pounds Really Does to Your Body - & Your Mind." It made me think a lot and made me decide that I needed to write this blog post.
Let me start by saying that I'm never going to know what it feels like to lose 180 pounds. There is no plan in my life that has me losing that much weight. That would take me to a completely unhealthy place that I wouldn't ever want to visit. I'm also not going to know the feeling of having weight loss surgery. I'm not saying anything against surgery, because I know many people have had success with it. It's just that isn't where my journey led me.
However, I do know what it is like to lose a truly significant amount of weight. And this article really touched on some issues that I've spent a decent amount of time thinking about.
This article hit on one of my pet peeves when it comes to a lot of advertising dealing with weight loss programs or products and television shows dealing with weight loss. The presumption is that all fat people hate themselves. That there is no possible way that you can have a happy life if you are fat. You have to despise yourself and be miserable and depressed. That presumption makes me furious! Vince can vouch for the fact that I become very snarky and irritated when I see those commercials.
But, that presumption wouldn't be so prevalent if it weren't at least a little bit true for more than one person. And when I'm being completely honest, I know that there have been times I've hated myself for having no self control and not being able to get my weight under control. There were times when I went up sizes that I hated how I kept getting fatter and how I wasn't willing or able to do anything about it. My self esteem was at an all time low for a really long time.
But there was a lot about my life that I loved. During the time when I was so heavy, I fell in love with and married Vince, the perfect man for me. I have friends and family who make my life brighter just by being there. I have a job and co-workers that I enjoy. I've done a lot of fun things and had some great experiences. I've had a wonderful life in general.
My weight loss journey has made my life better and easier in so many ways. It has made me feel happier about myself because I can see the amazing things that I'm accomplishing. I feel stronger than I ever have before. I am proud of myself and what I've been able to do. I have more energy and drive. There's an extra bounce in my step and my head is held higher than it was before.
But the most important things in my life haven't changed. My husband is still the amazing man that I fell in love with and our life together is wonderful. My friends and family are still so incredibly important to me and make my life so much better than it would be without them. My job and co-workers, while frequently frustrating, are still enjoyable. Vince and I have a lot of wonderful experiences and have a lot of fun. My life is still wonderful.
I knew this journey wouldn't change the essential nature of me or my life. I wasn't looking to be "fixed" by losing weight. I wanted to do what I could to make my life better and make things easier. I hoped I would feel better about myself based on my journey and what I could do. I wanted to feel proud of myself for doing something great. So I've gotten from my journey what I was looking for and even more than I had imagined. So maybe the expectations I had are what makes my journey different from the author of this article.
I do agree with the message at the end of this article. We, as a society, need to learn to love ourselves because we deserve it, not because of what we look like or because we are perfect, but because we are ourselves. I don't know how to make that happen and I don't have the magic formula. There's no magic size you need to be to be happy. There's no divine number on the scale that equals happiness. Happiness and love come in all sizes, shapes, and packages.
As I continue on my journey, I will remember to be kind to myself and be kind to others because everyone is on a journey and everyone has struggles and triumphs, successes and failures. And everyone is deserving of happiness, no matter what their personal journey is or where they are along that journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment