eat your words. don't worry, they're nonfat.

i've been thinking about writing on this topic for a while but, like most things these days, it was put on the blog back burner.

that is, until someone sent a dagger of a comment into the heart of this sensitive subject.

i walked into a study room the other day and one of my friends made a comment about my waist size, about how it looked like i'd put on some weight. in his defense, in his culture it's acceptable to talk about weight but i was still taken aback, defensive, and to be honest, angry. after making a raised eyebrow-i-can't-believe-you-just-said-that face, i turned around and walked out of the study room.
my other friend came after me to talk and i ended up staying to study. but only after a long-winded rant about how uncalled for his comment was.

i don't tell this story for sympathy.
i tell it because i was mad.
mad at the world's idea of skinny.

just because i'm not a size zero
just because i don't have the perfect measurements
just because i like to eat dessert
does not make me fat. i am healthy.
true, i have big legs and my waist isn't as skinny as it was freshmen year. but guess what? there's no way my body could have run as far as it does now. you bet i eat a lot. i have to. how else is my body supposed to run 18 miles?
i love my body. i love how it feels, looks, and how much it's capable of.
it's not conceited or vain. i like who i am and i like how i was created. i wish everyone felt this way.
love your body. check yourself out in the mirror when you walk past it. exercise to feel the rush of endorphins and a sense of accomplishment. walk around in your underwear and bright socks. be happy with who you are and what you've been given.

i found this quote the other day and it summed up my feelings perfectly:

"the more i run, the more i love my body. not because it's perfect, far from it. but because with every mile it is proving to me that i am capable of more that i ever thought possible."