I have been a plus-sized woman for many years.
After growing up wearing 'chubby' sized clothing, it has been a constant quest of mine to shrink enough to fit into 'normal' sizes.
Being tall (5'10") and 'big-boned', I have always been self-conscious about my size.
I have tried various weight loss programs, learned to love exercise (I am a runner) and love to cook healthy meals based on fresh vegetables.
Despite all these efforts, I am still a plus-sized woman.
Tired of the frustration and criticism from others over the years, I have decided to re-evaluate what 'plus-sized' actually means.
According to the fashion industry, 'plus' refers to any dress size above a 12.
That was quite an eye-opener for me.
I have hovered between a size 16 and 14 for most of my adult life.
Regardless of how often I worked out, how stringently I reduced calories or Points (depending on what diet I was following), I was never able to get below a 14.
Now I see that it doesn't matter.
In order to get into a 10 or 12 (not be 'plus-sized') would mean that I would have to take drastic (unhealthy) measures.
This is not my style.
Some people believe that 'plus-sized' means obese.
There is a difference.
Studies have shown that health refers to more factors than just weight.
An overweight person may be considered to be healthy if s/he is active, makes good food choices, and is free of medical disorders such as diabetes or hypertension.
The symptoms associated with obesity indicate that a person's health is at risk.
Overeating, a lack of exercise, poor stress management are just a few behaviors that lead to obesity.
This means that how you take care of yourself makes a difference.
That hit home for me.
I focus on doing things that are good for me, not just what will reduce my weight.
You'd think that becoming a runner and completing several half-marathons and one full marathon over the past two years that the weight would have come off easily.
It did not.
But, I've learned that I love the way I feel after a run.
That keeps me going, not the scale.
There are those who assume that plus-sized people lack self-control or just don't care about their appearance.
Those perceptions are just not true.
Most people who desire to lose weight try various programs.
For some, it takes more that just lists of foods to eat or avoid.
Many people feel they have failed if they didn't reach the reported dress size of a Hollywood star or have the six-pack abs of a pop singer.
As a result, many quit without learning to appreciate the positive changes that were made and return to that yo-yo cycle.
I have learned that for me, it is important that I accept where I am every day.
Instead of feeling ashamed because of some person's comment about my size or berating myself for not losing two pounds this week, I have decided to congratulate myself for what I accomplished.
When I finally made it up a hill that I had dreaded, I wasn't thinking about a banana split.
My reward was seeing the view from the top.
I drew a big smiley face in my journal and I can still feel that joy and triumph when I look back at that page.
I remind myself that I can do things that others cannot.
I am so thankful for my health.
So, even if you are 'plus-sized', don't let that limit your dreams.