I have not been plus-size my entire life. Actually, it was not until I came to college and gained close to 100 pounds that I finally accepted myself as being plus-size. Until I gained the weight, I did not realize just how tough it can be to live life being overweight. A lot of people may think, “well why not just lose the weight?”. It is not as simple as that. Many people, myself included, have gained weight as a result of a medical condition. Others have had traumas in their life that have led to food and overeating being a source of comfort. It is just not easy to lose weight. It is hard to stay motivated when trying to lose weight when it feels like the world around you is judging you every step of the way. Just because someone is plus-size does not mean that they are lazy or are a bad person in any way, shape, or form. You do not know what someone is going through. So, as someone who was formerly an avid athlete of good health, I want to share some of the struggles I face as a plus-size woman.
Finding Clothes
It is really disheartening to walk into a store and not be able to find your size. If for any reason I am in desperate need of say a sports bra or I need to replace my ripped leggings I am out of luck. I have walked into stores and been ignored by the staff or have been talked down to because they didn’t have my size. Not only that, the clothes that are in my size try either to hide all of my curves in giant baggy clothing or they are made for an older generation. I am 20 years old and I want to feel sexy in the body I have at the moment. If I want to wear a crop top, I should be able to.
PAIN
My body and especially my joints are in pain. All. The. Time. At the end of the day, my body is tired and sore from having to carry around the extra weight all day every day. I have to be careful when planning my exercise routines are certain activities outdoors because there is an increased chance that I will end up injuring myself in one way or another.
Chairs
Oh, boy do I have a newfound anger towards chairs, especially those found on campus. I am not sure who exactly these chairs were designed for, but they are my own form of personal hell. They are tiny and when you try to pull out the desk bit you find your internal organs squashed to bits and pieces. I have a vendetta against chairs at Brandeis and when the time comes I will get my revenge.