It Was a Gift That I Was Overweight

Sometimes I still get nervous to share my before/after photos. I have this idea in my head that people will look at it and only see how overweight I had become. I fear they will judge me. I think of all things they “probably” think about me…

“Wow, that’s gross.”

“Ew. She was so large.”

“How can anyone live like that?”

“I’m so glad I’ve never gotten that big.”

For a minute or so, I hear these words in my head thinking about how justified they are…I was afterall, over 230 lbs at one point. I pause, paralyzed by fear, debating whether or not to share my photo after all.

But no one has ever, ever said those things to me. Those words are only in my head. And like all the words I hear in my head, I think it’s good to challenge them. I recognize what I’m hearing… what I’m telling myself, the unkind words I’m saying… and stop. Pause purposefully and ask, “is this true?”

What’s true is that for the last year and a half that I’ve been sharing about my health journey people have only been kind, encouraging, and grateful.

They tell me it inspires them! It motivates them! It helps them see what could be possible for their own lives.

And that just knocks me down. Because you know what the only conclusion is for me?

I have to look back on my life and thank God for my struggles with my weight. I have to thank Him for all those before photos I shudder over because it shows others what can be done!

It’s a tough mindset to adopt, but I’m trying… I’m trying to see that my weight was a gift! It is precisely the thing that now I can use to inspire, motivate, and help others find health!

And you know what, seeing it as a gift just feels so much better than seeing it as a curse and thinking all those negative thoughts. Flipping the script to be positive makes a huge difference.

If I didn’t struggle with my weight, I wouldn’t be able to relate to others. I wouldn’t be able to be as empathetic, to say “me too!” when someone tells me they feel like getting healthy is an insurmountable cliff to climb.

I saw a quote once that said something like, “You were given this mountain to show others it can be moved.”

What a gift. What a beautiful gift then. What purpose can be found in my struggle. What grace in the overcoming. Why keep that to myself? Why would I ever hide those photos if even one person decided to get healthy… The temptation to stand in my own way is very real. But courage says be bold. Share. Show others what can be done. Your struggle with weight was a gift. Don’t let it go to waste.