Proud to be a Curvy Girl

I’m proud to be a curvy girl. Years ago, those words wouldn’t have spilled from my lips. I would be signing up with Weight Watchers or LA Fitness trying to lose 30 to 40 pounds. Back then, I loathed buying double digit clothes. When I lost 40 pounds back around 2004 on Weight Watchers, I shrunk down to a size 8. I was so proud that I could fit my teenage cousin’s jeans. Yet, as I was strutting my new body, there was a demon lurking in the shadows. Ready to pounce. His name was hunger and he was pissed that I dumped him. Now, I understand why models don’t look happy when they work the catwalk. They are starving! I could only eat veggies, no sugar, no fruit, and very lean meat to maintain the size 8 body. So, needless to say, it didn’t last long. I eventually gained back all the weight. But, I was much happier and so was my body. I learned healthy living habits like going to gym and learning 80/20 eating(eating 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day – 80% healthy and 20% unhealthy). I now wear a size 12-14. Since I have turned 40, I have accepted that I will never be a size 8 or 10 again unless I spend 3 to 4 hours at the gym and be on a strict diet. Life is too short to spend hours on a treadmill and eating baby carrots. I want to eat veggies because they taste good and not because it will keep the grumpy hungriness at bay.

With diet industry being a multi-billion dollar one, people daily seek some new formula to lose weight. Yet ironically, we are the most obese than our country has ever been. There is some disconnect becaue we are so detached from recognizing natural hunger pains. We have destroyed them from starving ourselves and/or overeating. We don’t know when our stomachs have had enough or too much. And, with the media pressure to be impossibly stick thin, we have a hard time loving our bodies. And, just because someone is skinny, doesn’t mean they are healthier. A lot of times, they are carrying their fat on their organs and not realizing it. I still go to the gym. But, instead of trying to get skinny, I get my body strong. I still like my cheeses from around the world with a nice piece of crusty bread. But, in moderation. I’m not going to fret like I used to do.

Curvy girls can be beautiful and sexy. It’s all about attitude and how you flaunt it. Be proud and not ashamed. Don’t listen to the voices that tell you that you are less than. You are enough!