Hmmm, like Shane says, that "I was thin once" line is a bit sad. And like Lekhika said, nobody cares anyway.
Empower youself. Stop hiding behind what you once were and live your life as the you you want to be and if that means being thin again then go for it. But don't feel as if you ever have to explain or justify yourself. Let your attitude, your words, your deeds and yes even your body, speak for itself. Let your life do the talking.
I guess for me it's a little different. Maybe it's because of differing cultural standards, but I've never felt a need to "explain" my weight to anyone. I never really felt ugly, per se, but I did decide to lose weight to get more fit. There was probably some vanity at play, but not much. I was always foxylicious!
I have a friend who is in the same boat as you, Kasey, and I totally get why you'd want to explain things. I think it does stem from the way in which people treat larger folks and if you were always thin, you probably didn't really REALLY realize how much of a difference that could make to some people. It makes perfect sense that you would want to distance yourself from anything that would cause others to be discriminatory towards you. It might rub others the wrong way, and it certain make my hackles go up a bit, but that's my own stuff.
The way this society (north american) valuates thinness and villifies fatness coupled with how much emphasis is placed on a woman's desirability often leaves us feeling like we don't have a lot of choices. Which sucks!
You're beautiful now! Your picture is sassy and fabulous. People can be really jerky about weight and I'm sorry you've dealt with that. I'm glad you're here and welcome!
Oh but back to my friend. She was diagnosed with PCOS and gained about 70lbs after being around a buck and a quarter for most of her life. She's tallish and I think she carries the weight well, but she's miserable. She's lost some of the 70, but she's feeling similar to you. I just keep telling her I love her for who she is and not what she looks like even though I think she's a babe regardless of her weight.
Not really, not even when I was self concious of my weight. I don't think I ever wanted to "explain my weight" I think I had more of a , I'm fat so f****in what? attitude. Even though I wasn't really fat. I just totally thought I was and that everyone else would notice how huge I was... I had never really been thin or actually felt thin. I was totally normal as a kid, but I always felt fat and thus thought I was fat. So I always felt like the first thing people would see is fat. Only they don't, because I was never huge in the first place...
But I do agree with shane, shrinking chica and Lekhika... "I used to be thin" just sounds like you think you're better than people who were never thin, even though they're the same size as you are now. And people really don't care. If they don't understand what it's like to be thin vs. fat they'll never understand the difference in treatment and or the difference in how you feel about your body...
Sometimes, I do not in any way hide my former weight from anyone. If someone ask then I have no problem telling them and discussing it with them. Sometimes (as other people have said) if it comes up in conversation without someone specifically asking such as in a discussion with being cold, or buying new clothing then I again have no problem telling people.
Also I am on myspace and on facebook, and I have pictures of myself from now and before my weight loss. It took me a long time to accept who I am, being fat (at one time) is a part of me, I would never hid things like pictures from my undergrade graduation because I was at my heaviest in them.
I've been fat since age 4, with only a couple years close to normal in high school (with the help of amphetemine diet pills). I don't tell my life story to strangers, but I don't hide it either. It's part of me, but not the most important part.
I don't know how to say this, without it sounding bad. It's my hang-up not yours, but I feel kind of sick inside when someone tells me they used to be thin, in that "at least I haven't always been fat" tone. It makes me feel like they're saying that they're much better and less disgusting than "real fat people" like me.
I don't know how thin people, or other overweight people perceive it, or whether their own experience with weight problems makes a difference.
I don't think a person has to justify themselves to anyone, whether they're in your position or mine.
actually, no. I'm fat, ppl can see that I am. No explanation is needed. and welcome to 3FC. It's a great place here for supportive ppl going through the same things that you are.
Last edited by Smiling_Sara; 11-25-2007 at 02:07 PM.
I don't necessarily feel like I need to explain why I'm bigger to people. At times it is embarrassing though. I'm taller than most girls too (5'10''ish) and to be around a lot of short, thinner girls I kind of feel like a ogre. heh But I know I do feel like a burden on my boyfriend sometimes. I feel like he could do SO much better. And not only that but I feel like if I were thinner, I'd want to do more; perfect example is six flags. He kept saying he wanted to take me but I kept telling him no because I'm super afraid of roller coasters. I had never been on one before and while I was really afraid of that, I was even more afraid of not being able to go on a ride because I was too fat. I did wind up going and rode some of the rides but I didn't ride all because I was afraid I wasn't going to fit. I feel like in some ways I hold him back!
I never feel like I have to explain my weight to anyone, but I have noticed that my friend who used to be A LOT smaller before having a kid, does explain herself.
Stop hiding behind what you once were and live your life as the you you want to be and if that means being thin again then go for it. But don't feel as if you ever have to explain or justify yourself. Let your attitude, your words, your deeds and yes even your body, speak for itself. Let your life do the talking. 
