“I needed to lose weight. I would have a ton of friends and finally be brave enough to go to the pool in a bikini. I would root for other people and tell them to eat abundantly, but would never do that myself without ‘getting rid of it’ afterward.”
‘I needed to relapse just ‘one more time’ so everyone would like me. The verbal abuse continued.’: Woman battles 7-year eating disorder, ‘I decided to put myself first’
‘Starved for love, I made disastrous decisions. Eventually, I turned to food. I weighed in at 391 pounds, my body just as unhealthy as my soul.’: Survivor details battle with demons, ‘I am a beautiful disaster’
“Frozen in fear, you lay in your bed with that twisted knot in your stomach. There is always the question: who protected the little girl with the big, brown eyes? The answer? A resounding no one. I was a little girl.”
‘I was sleeping 16 hours a day. I felt someone squeezing my lungs every time I took a breath. ‘You’re fine, just go home and rest.’: Woman battling Lupus urges ‘you’re capable of crushing every obstacle in your path’
“A group of doctors huddled at the end of my bed. I overheard them say, ‘She’s so incredibly sick, we just can’t figure out what’s wrong. She isn’t going to make it.’ I spiked a 104 fever. I was writhing in pain, grunting, moaning, begging for it to stop.”
‘Hey sister, wear the shorts. You see dimples, cellulite. I see a woman who deserves to feel beautiful in whatever she chooses.’: Woman urges ‘confidence looks beautiful on you’
“Confidence looks beautiful on you, sis. Wear it proudly.”
‘I watched more than a few of my friends commenting negatively on how they look now. Girl, stop glorifying your past self just for being skinnier.’: Woman reminds us ‘comparison is the thief of joy’
“Maybe your waistline grew this past decade (GUILTY, FRIEND), but so did your family. I fear for a time when my daughter would choose to comment only on her WEIGHT in her joyful photos. People preach about the importance of self-love and ignore the elephant in the room.”
‘He was 9 years older. I thought he was my everything. As soon as I hit the top of the stairs, my heart started racing. ‘I love you. Something is wrong.’: Woman with Tachycardia starts weight loss journey
“I started sweating and it didn’t stop. I should have called 911 but I called my husband. I told him I loved him and something was wrong. May 20th was the day my life changed forever. I never believed I was allowed to smile or be happy because no one was ever nice to me.”
‘My girl is nice, but if only I could have THAT! Why would anyone choose you?’: Woman pens self-love letter, ‘If you want love, you’ve got to love yourself first’
“‘Wow, she’s gained weight! She could use a little help. Is she even trying?’ You scroll through your feed and see SO MANY girls who are so much prettier than you. They have so many better options.”
‘I got a message from someone with fat loss pills saying, ‘You could benefit from these.’: Woman with hyperthyroidism says ‘I’m perfectly imperfect, and that’s okay’
“Growing up in the ‘picture perfect’ era was mentally draining. I started to develop early and was wearing a training bra by third grade. I was called ‘a big ugly giant.’ It sent me even deeper into a downward spiral.”
‘She dressed up that 200-pound body. She bought it new clothes. Her confidence oozed out of her.’: Woman reflects on self love, ‘I am going to love myself without losing weight’
“Which was confusing because I weigh 200 lbs. I am not glowing. I am not treating myself as someone who should have a new wardrobe.”
‘Food was for ‘growing boys.’ I would take an empty lunch box to school so I looked like I fit in.’: Woman overcomes lifetime of eating disorders, ‘I love me for me’
“I was a talented singer, but because of my looks, I was never picked for the lead. I wasn’t the pretty leading lady in Mary Poppins – I was a chimney sweep. One year, I was asked to sing for the lead role but stand in the wings out of sight, while another person acted.”
