When you said “some short term pain for some long term gain,” I couldn’t agree more.

I have, at some point in my life, been called fat because, well, I was fat. I wasn’t always that way but in my early 20s, I became an emotional eater. It wasn’t until someone actually called me the F word that I realized what I had become. And it wasn’t just once that I was called fat. That hurt. A lot.

But I remember that that comment was what got me moving to get myself out of that cycle of overeating when I was sad or very happy.

I’m glad someone called me fat.

This blog put me in mind of a couple of years ago. I had not long been treated for thyroid cancer and had been warned about checking for any lumps on my body which could be reacurring cancer (this is a happy story I promise!),anyway I had found a distinct lump on my side and was absolutely terrified. I made an urgent appointment with my oncologist and he diagnosed it as …a rib! That’s right I had lost weight and my ribs had appeared where before they were covered in fat. I told him I would come back for another check up when my hips became visible!!
I had never thought of myself as overweight before this but clearly….

This issue is really important particually with kids. I am a grade 6 teacher and I have a few students overweight and one that is morbidly obese (don’t know exact weight but looks to be over 85kg+ with a height of 160cm). I try to make sure that we do fitness everyday and encourage the whole class to make healthier food choices for play lunch and lunch.

I really worry about this student. He is a wonderful boy, but I am literally scared for his life and future.

He comes from a family of obesity, he recently told me his 24 year old sister had lap ban surgery.

I honestly want the best for him, but I don’t know what I can do apart from sharing my weightloss success and fitness success with him and my class(recently started making better food choices and exercising and have lost over 8kg in 6 weeks and have managed to jog continuously for 25 mins on the treadmill – my world record!)

I feel parents have a major responsibility to provide their children with healthy food. The junk that students eat just astounds me sometimes – crisps for breakfast, doughnut for playlunch…

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Great post. It took me to get to rock bottom before I realised that I would be dead in 5 years without drastic action, but as you know your head has to be in the right place to get you to action. I have no trouble with the fat word – that is what I am! I am now 60kg lighter and no longer obese – 16kg to get to the normal BMI range. I am no longer on insulin for diabetes and will stop all medication by the time I get to goal weight in 3-4 months. I now love exercise and found an incredible local gym that is not for ‘gym people’ and spend 5 hours a week at the gym and I love my new bike which I ride for about 50km a week – for fun. There are a lot of people in their 70’s and 80’s at my gym and they are my inspiration as they are happy, fit and very active. Exercise is now just part of my life and I feel great. I love your saying about ‘nothing tastes as good a being in shape feels’ – I am a tragic and have this saying on my fridge! Food is no longer a big part of my life – something about eating to live and not the other way around.

I get very upset when I see fat parents with their fat kids at the supermarket and they trolley is just full of junk. I can’t understand people subjecting their kids to the same problems that they have, when even on a tight budget, good food is available.

The other thing that is concerning is that fat is becoming the new norm. Many people tell me that I shouldn’t lose any more weight. Although I am tall, I am still in the overweight BMI range and really need to lose more! Our body image is sadly changing, so that fat is a new normal.

Cheers
Karen

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