The earliest memory I have of being judged for how much I eat was actually fairly recent. I was in my freshman year of college when I entered the dining hall. They were serving breakfast and I, an individual who believes that the bigger the breakfast the better the day, took two bowls much to the disgust of the girl standing in line next to me. The interesting part was that we were both the same size, yet one of us just had more food on her plate.
Arriving to college, I also heard rumors of the dreaded freshman 15, which seemed to stress some people out even more. When I was younger and all throughout high school, I never paid much attention to my body or weight. I saw advertisements of thin girls everywhere and never missed a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, however, seeing their bodies never bothered me in the least because I knew that it was due to two things. Either serious exercise or serious Photoshop!
I guess I could say that I am one of the lucky ones, the one who never listened to others telling me how my body should look like or how much I should eat. I didn’t listen not because I knew better, after all it’s very easy to listen to those who give you advice (or criticism) on your appearance, but because I knew that what matters is one’s health. My lifestyle matches the amount of food I eat, and I’m always on the go, so I need a lot of energy; the only time someone should watch what they eat or consider making a change to their diet is only if they have health problems. Your body and your well-being is important, so my message is this: enjoy what you eat and only watch it if it’s damaging to your health. Love your body no matter what size and most importantly don’t let the negative opinions of the media or others stop you from enjoying life (or food) to the fullest.
Photo credit: gymjunkies.com