V! I Grew up as “Two-Ton”, Now I’m Loving Life without the Weight

V! by Fitzness.com

I grew up in a traditional African American family where lots of gatherings meant lots of food like greens, corn bread, home-made macaroni-n-cheese, ribs, fried pork chops, fried chicken, pies and cakes.  The message I got from our family was that fat equaled happy.  Mom & Dad’s families hosted our family for meal times on a regular basis in my parents’ younger years of marriage.  Mommy did not cook very well initially.  She was the youngest of 15 children; cooking and chores mainly fell on the older ones.  It did improve over the years, but from what I remember, everyone around me was large; diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and some cancers were common in our family and friends’ lives.  My heart hurts to see this image, along with death, and I want to do something about it!  I know that this change starts with me and the choices I make.

Although I was a happy, well adjusted, bright and outgoing child, I recall not feeling very good about my body because I also was large.  In second grade, my P.E. Coach referred to me as “TWO-TON” and one family member even called me “FAT-CAT”!  What does that do for a little girl’s esteem?  For me to appreciate the present, I revisited areas of my past that caused pitfalls in my adult life.  I couldn’t continue doing the same things I’d always done while expecting different results.  No one ever said these words to me, but I began formulating destructive thoughts at an early age that framed the world around me- I thought that “skinny white girls” were my enemy.  Over the years, I felt jealous for not looking like them.  This was an internal battle.  I did not love who I was, so I packed that deep down and continued life as usual.

My parents did what was within their realm of knowledge as they provided for us and pressed past the obstacles in their own lives.  They would say that EDUCATION, along with loving God and living a clean life was our vehicle to success.  A Bachelor’s and two Master’s Degrees later, I am grateful! Now, it is my responsibility to apply my new knowledge and share it with those in my sphere of influence.  At 39 years old, I celebrate my natural curves while being good to my body.  I’m excited to share my experiences with Sistas who want to live a life of quality and good health. I want to encourage you and hopefully become an agent of change for those who need to see someone else walking this out!  So, I open the curtain to my world, invite you to take a glimpse and reach out so we can do this together!