I have fat, I am not fat.

The following is a post I wrote back in January of 2017 and the picture is from April 2017. A lot has changed since I originally wrote this, but the message is still very relevant.

January 2017

I am NOT fat.

It has taken me a long time to stop calling myself fat. I mean why shouldn't I have called myself that? Society, the media, and others tell me that I am, because I don't fit into their mold or their size 2 jeans.

So often when we hear that someone is fat, we immediately pass judgement about who this person must be. They must be lazy, they must have no self-control, they must have low self-esteem, and they must be stupid. These judgments can have a lasting effect, even start to define how a person might begin to feel about themselves.

So let me tell you how it really is. I'm a size 12, depending on the clothes I wear, I have a muffin top, I have cellulite and a few stretch marks, I'm about 15 lbs over my goal weight, and yes, I HAVE fat. I also get up every morning at 4:45 am and work out, I drink a daily nutritious shake and I eat clean 90% of the time, if not more. I am a cancer survivor and deal with hormone issues and early menopause and everyday I work with others to help them hopefully add 10-15 extra years onto their lives by making small changes to improve their health.

So yes, I can pinch an inch or more, but I am NOT fat!

Everyday we have choices to make. What we choose to put into our bodies and whether or not we choose to be active is solely up to us. These choices will definitely affect our physical appearance. But we also have the choice everyday to look within and love the person that we are, regardless of how we look on the outside.

Since I originally wrote that post, I have lost some weight and gained some muscle because I knew that doing so, could improve my health and keep me from following in my family's footsteps. I make better choices every day, not only for myself and family, but also as an example to others. There was a time when I let my fat define who I was...never again!