Member-only story
Body Acceptance is a Skill We Must Practice Every Day
I have a confession to make.
I’ve gained over 20 pounds since 2018. Over 10 of them have been since last October.
That may not sound like much to you. But to me, it sounds like an unfathomable sin.
That dreaded number on the scale has unyielding power over me. It can turn my world upside down in a sideways glance. And that’s just how it happened recently. I went to the doctor to get an infection, looked at and felt instantly annoyed when they wanted to weigh me. I stepped on the scale, averting my eyes to avoid seeing the number displayed.
What I didn’t expect was that dreaded number would be printed on my discharge paperwork.
And that‘s when I saw it.
The largest it’s ever been. The horror was immediate and intense.
The shame spiral was overwhelming. I wept loud and hard while I drove my car to the pharmacy. It wasn’t the type of cry that can be wiped away with a tissue and masked from others’ eyes. It was the type that left your eyeballs red and glassy, your under eyes puffy, and your nose and cheeks red and blotchy.
The absurdity of this reaction does not escape me. There is a small but growing portion of my mind that is letting go of this debilitating obsession with being…
