Just tought I would share this with everyone! It might help some of you accept yourself better. You never know!

About a year and a half ago, I was seing a shrink to help with some personal stuff including my personal body image (Over 200 pounds). I never loved myself before.

After talking with her, I realized that I put on the weight to hide from people. So people wouldn't approach me and discover the secrets I wished to hide from everyone! Being fat kept the boys away from me, etc... That was how I had decided to cope with my problems. I put on the fat for one purpose. My body reacted to what I wanted it to be. Although I never liked being fat, it served my purpose. So being fat is not a bad thing. It's simply the result of what we want to do with our bodies.

Once I understood this, I learned to love my body. It wasn't easy, but I came to understand that my body saved me when I needed it the most. But now, that I do not wish to hide from people anymore, I want my body to be slimmer. I love my body. I want to feed it healthy foods so I don't get sick! Exercise regularly so I can be fit! And the final result is the weight loss!

Learning to love ourselves sometimes isn't easy. But in the end, it really is worthwhile! After all, if we do not love ourselves as a fat or thin person, how can we teach our kids to love themselves whatever they look like?

Thank you for this information. This is so true. We have to apparently communicate with the fat and the thin person in order to win and either way, it must include love for who we are at whatever point we are at.

WE all deserve unconditional love. Especially from ourselves.

well put Francine and thanks for sharing. I did just that after my rape. Gained weight to protect myself from others to avoid having to get close to any one. I had fought so very hard after a horrible horrible childhood to discover myself and lost over 50lbs all to gain it back and more after the incident. I had slowly started to recover from that when I had met my husband and we had our first child, The pregnancy weight was coming off when I became pregnant with twins. { yes we used protection} my 1st was only 8 or 9 weeks old. I lost the twins at 6 1/2 months. It devastated me and gaining the weight was so easy and felt so natural and in some ways was very comforting. Being thin and attractive was still too new to fight for it and I felt too depressed to care. Holding on to the past has not made me or my husband and children very happy at all. I am letting it go slow and steady with every pound I release along with the past.

Tammy

Hi Tammy

I know how you must have felt having miscarried twice around 3 and 4 months myself although it must have been even harder for you later in the pregnancy. It's extremely difficult! And in those days, everthing gets dark around us, we keep wondering what we did wrong and we sometimes shut people out of our lives. Even today, sometimes, I think about it! But there was a reason for it. Today, I tell myself it's better that way! If the baby would have come to term and have a heart problem, he/she may not have survived very long! Looking at my 6 year old nephew who has a 8 years old life expectancy, I can appreciate the fact that my miscarriage was for the best!

We are strong women! Dealing with our weight issue is just one thing out of many!

Letting our protective inner walls fall down and letting people in our lives is hard to do! Personally, I felt so vulnerable, so exposed when I did this! But it had to be done if I wanted to be happy in life! And today I am very happy and proud to have succeeded.

With a loving husband and 2 wonderful girls, what could a girl want more?

Thank you all for sharing your stories. I appreciate it. It seems you are getting in touch with your inner demons. Way to go!! I wish you the best!!

And you ARE worth it!

Oh my...I really fell blessed to be here. On December 9th at 6 months pregnant I lost my 4th child...it has been a rough couple of months...giving birth and not bringing home a child but still having to deal with the weight has been horrible.
I have shut most of the people I care about out of my life, it just seems easier not to have to talk..but I am slowly coming out of it and getting out more..I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to have 3 fabulous children here with me.
I hope that getting back to my prepregnancy weight will help...I hate not being back into my prepreg clothes, it's like a constant reminder of my loss..
I am enjoying this new way of eating and I am so happy I found this site.
Lou

It is not only great to see that people are so suppoortive of each other here but also that everyone feels so comfortable sharing- big hugs to everyone who has and to those who haven't, too!

We ARE strong women! You haven't cut people out of you're here!

Lou - Sweetie - I can not even begin to imagine... Please know that we are here for you and 100% behind you - We are so glad you found us.