I’m still having difficulty accepting this as a reflection of my “current” appearance. I don’t know what to make of it, so I ignore it. At least I’ve stopped tripping myself with my knobby knees. They clanked together for the better half of a year before I learned to walk differently. 🫣

In all seriousness though, after losing 120+ pounds, I haven’t received less body shaming. It just changed form. It once was for me to lose weight, then it changed to “you need to gain weight.” Now I try to just stay away from people . There’s no winning when it comes to opinions. I’d rather be lonely-happy.

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I looked like this a few years ago. I’m proud of old me for being strong, getting through college and enduring deaths, financial losses, broken bones, wheelchairs, and illness. I really didn’t like how I looked or how the extra body weight felt. It was painfully suffocating and difficult to get around. Having an extra 100+ pounds on legs I couldn’t stand on was a pain I can’t describe. I’ve experienced a lot of pain, many types, but that one was  primal. I was passed off as a patient and went without a cast or meds for pain. My ankle joint crunched when I’d move. This went on for months. In retrospect, fat me was a tough chick!