The Label I Was Given

That label was FAT. It wasn't recently. It started in kindergarten, but that was given to me by my peers. By the time I was in third grade, I went from a Christian school to a public school. The public school put me in a group called 'WOW', which stood for Watch Our Weight. At that time, I didn't think I was that fat. I was 8. I played outside all the time with my neighbors. I didn't think of anything about my body. Now my fate was sealed, I was fat.

After a few sessions, I no longer played outside the way I used to. I stayed inside, watched TV, & became a closet eater. By the time I got to junior high, I was 5'8, a 130 lbs, & size 12. Still not really all that fat, just slightly above average.

Junior high is an awful place, all your insecurities get worse. I know mine did. I started getting teased for everything and anything. So I stopped engaging with people. Not entirely, just became more introverted. I learned than that people are out to hurt you.

Then came high school, since I gave up already I didn't lose any of the weight during the summer. I probably gained, because I stopped swimming because of the looks I got at the pool. I just went through the motions of high school. I tried to engage more, but not everyone matures at the same rate. By the time I left high school, I was 5'10, 196 lbs, & wore a size 16.

The heaviest I was 258 lbs & a size 22. That was about 2 years ago. Then I got a bad pain in my abdominal area. I went to the doctor, got tested & scanned. The scans revealed that I had diverticulitis. Which means I ruined my digestive tract by my diet. The only way to heal it is to be nicer to my body. There are a list of things I can't eat in a large quantity, because it slows the healing process & puts me in pain for days.

But because of it, I have I started eating better. I'm still not great at it, I have a lot retraining to do. I have a problem with portion control & exercise. But I have lost 25 lbs so far and with the support I'm getting from friends, I believe I will get healthier.

I'm not saying that I'm a victim, because that's not my way. I just wanted to show you a glimpse of what happens with the seeds we plant into children's minds. They're oblivious to most things. They don't know the differences until you plant them into their heads.