I recently read an article in my seasonal Multiples of America {Summer 2014, Notebook} magazine that really spoke to me from a running perspective. While I have never struggled with obesity, I do have to work hard to stay in shape & remain thin. I have not always considered myself “skinny” {you should have seen me in elementary school!} & will never be a “size 0”, but running has definitely helped me reach my goal weight. I think this article would help other running coaches, or fitness friends, so I am sharing it here. It’s raw, but has a great message.
The Journey, by Anna Jones
It seems that there are always things circulating on social media trying to motivate people to exercise and get healthy. They don’t always seem to ring true to me. It is sometimes hard for me to take exercise advice from someone who probably wears a size 0 and has no idea what it is like to walk a day in my shoes. Here is my take on exercise, the viewpoint of the fat girl.
I’m fat. Please don’t feel sorry for me. Don’t try to substitute another word for it. I am not chubby, stout, big-boned or fluffy. I’m fat, and I’m working on it. Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t. Life happens and everyone deals with things in different ways. I am the way I am because of things that happened and my choices on how to deal with it. I ask that you not feel sorry for me, but also don’t judge.
You don’t know that I am battling depression and every day that I get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other is a victory. You don’t know that I have varicose veins in my legs so badly that the swelling and pain is almost unbearable at times. You don’t know that my health insurance stinks and my deductible is out {of} this world and I can’t justify the $7,500 to fix them. It doesn’t faze me. I lace up my shoes and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes it is like lifting sandbags, other days it isn’t so bad. You don’t know what it is like trying to go exercise and not feel that everyone is staring. I’ve dealt with it my whole life. Don’t try to be nonchalant about it. I know you’re staring.
I want you to know something about me. I am going to win. I may not be the fastest person on the track, but just being on the track is a victory. I might be dripping with sweat by the time I am half way around, but each lap that passes, I am stronger and I hold my head a little bit higher. I keep on trudging forward and eventually I know that I will get where I want to be. My only hope is that for the person sitting in their car staring at the track, trying to muster the strength to open the car door, look at me. The fat girl on the track and be inspired! I’m out there, giving it every bit of what I have. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it is happening. I have three of the cutest motivators on the planet. I know that as much as they inspire me, I am inspiring them. I know that at some point when they are struggling with something, they can look back on my journey and know they can do anything. It really is not about the destination you are trying to reach, it is the journey you take trying to get there. And right now, I am taking my journey one step at a time. I hope that you find some inspiration in this and will join me by taking the first step.
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