Once upon a time I believed, like most people, that fat was a terrible thing to be. I thought all of my woes would disappear if I got skinny. I dieted myself down almost one hundred pounds, primarily through restricting my food intake. I kept up with my new “lifestyle change,” but the weight stopped coming off, and then started coming back on.
It was around this time that the fitness bug bit me, and I started walking. A lot. I started to get fitter. My weight kept getting higher, but I felt amazing. I decided to train for and walk a half marathon, and then another, and another. Me, an athlete! I even became a trainer and coach for a half marathon fundraising program. All while fat.
I got injured, as happens, and went to see a personal trainer on the advice of my physical therapist. The personal trainer fat-shamed me. My accomplishments and experiences didn’t matter to her; she couldn’t see past my fat to hear my words. That day was the beginning of a momentous shift in my thinking and my attitude. That was the day that I started Big Fit Deal. Fitness and health aren’t just for thin people – they’re for everybody and every body, including me. This message, coupled with fat and body positivity, have become my passion.
According to the BMI scale, I’m morbidly obese. According to my primary care physician, I’m one of her healthiest patients. According to my pants, I’m plus-sized. According to the medals hanging on my wall, I’m an endurance athlete. I am all of these things.