I’ve noticed a couple of times throughout the past year young women doing something I did many times in my youth when I was self-conscious about my weight. What I noticed that in very warm and even hot weather, young women wearing jackets. Jean jackets, leather jackets, bulky sweaters in the height of summer when it was humid and sticky, while other young women were wearing sundresses and sleeveless tops.
They would not only wear their jackets in the heat but kept pulling them closed and down as if making sure they were concealing some awful secret. These women were likely feeling self-conscious about their weight. I would not call them obese by any means, but somewhat larger than others their age.
I was immediately anxious for them because I knew how they felt. I kept looking and wanting to talk with them about taking off their jackets and enjoying the day. When I see this behavior it’s a trigger for me and I am immediately back in my college days.
I remember carpooling with friends to summer work-study. Just before we arrived at work, we passed a bank in the center of town with a large, illuminated clock that also showed the temperature. Every day I would pray that the temperature did not exceed 68 degrees. That was my magic number for being able to wear a sweater that day.
More important than wearing a sweater during the day was wearing a sweater at night when we could go to the nightclubs. I was the one sitting at the cocktail table that had space invaders. I would play the entire night while my friends danced. I was glad that I looked busy and not just sitting there by myself as a “wall flower”. This was my entire summer.
This is another reason why I was on a mission to lose weight and now on a mission to help others. Do not watch life go by, do not wish the seasons to go by. Enjoy every moment loving who you are and being healthy!
It's Not About the Food 