I have to admit it that I’m one of those people who whatever I eat will put on the pounds. I don’t even remember what it feels like to eat whatever I want and not suffer the consequences later. But I was fortunate in one regard. The media wasn’t putting the emphasis so much to be thin. Then again, in my twenties and thirties, I didn’t have much of a problem keeping the weight off. To me it’s about being healthy, not about being thin. Not everyone can be a size 4 and that’s okay. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin. That’s something I think many people don’t understand. We look at magazines that are filled with models, many that have been photo-shopped, and believe that they need to look close or the same way. The ego is boosted by feelings of adequacy by the way that they look.

Many diet companies will boost a weight range that isn’t always healthy. In an article asking young girls about their weight, many of them are trying to be a weight that is 20% below what is ideal. Many young women would be willing to die early just to have the perfect body. Life is too short as is to deprive ourselves of life. Between the advertisements for weight loss surgery and free shakes, it’s no wonder why there are more people on diets than ever before. We put high expectations on ourselves to be something else. But think about it, how many times have you looked at yourself in the mirror and felt excited about being you? The world isn’t made up of people who are a size 0. Rather, the world is made up of people who have all different types of body types and that are a great feeling. I’ve come to realize that as long as I’m not in danger of a medical condition, I will continue to live my life with the love and understanding that this is who I am. It’s not meant to be to look like anyone else and let’s face it, I wouldn’t want to either. The fairy tale is that it’s about being free to be me.