"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt
We all know that people are mean to each other. There is something about fat that brings out a really mean side of people. As I mentioned in my last post, I've spent most of my life trying to lose weight. At various times along my weight loss journey, I encountered extremely discouraging and even humiliating moments. And I let it get to me. Its very easy to say "ignore them," but much harder in practice.
In middle school there were several girls whose mission was to make my life miserable. At that time it wasn't totally about my weight, it was really about anything and everything. I hated going to school and had lots of sick days because of it. Eating made me feel better (or so I thought until I was done eating).
High school was better, but then in college I gained WAY more than the Freshman Fifteen. I ballooned up! Finally, I started working on my eating and exercise habits around my Junior year. It was SO hard. Carrying around an extra 70 lbs (not my heaviest even) makes exercise a real challenge. I consistently exercised and really gave it my all. One day while out walking, a truck full of boys drove by and mooed at me, laughing. Really? There were numerous nasty looks at the gym (every gym) and finally I just let it get to me; I consented. I gave up and decided it was pointless because I was never going to lose the weight. And my weight continued to increase. People treated me differently because of my weight.
News flash: Fat people are not deaf! They can hear the nasty comments.
I'm not going to pretend that the disparaging remarks only came from other people. I said plenty of hateful things to myself, too. Those are the hardest comments to tune out.
Although it took some time, eventually I got past all the nastiness. I am a firm believer that there is a lesson to be learned from every bad situation. These experiences helped develop my empathy; realize the kind of person I want to be (and not to be). I want to be an encourager. I'm not going to laugh at or mock people trying to get healthy no matter how heavy they are. I'm going to applaud people who aren't discouraged by mean people and just keep on keepin' on. I'm not going to join the obnoxious, gossipy group making light of others' pain. I hope that my children, and others, learn this, too.
Be good to yourself, and other people....it can only make you healthier. My friends and family have been so encouraging about this blog and I am truly blessed to know such a great group of people! What have others done that encouraged you to keep on track to your goals when the going gets tough?
Had to throw this quote in, too!
"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In it's place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good." Anonymous quote from KLOVE Morning Show Blog on 1/25/13 What do you leave behind?
