DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been exercising regularly since May. I have lost almost a whole dress size, and I am proud of myself. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m sticking to it.
Yesterday, I got a big blow to my ego. A friend forwarded a picture to me asking if I was one of two people in the photo. It was a profile shot, so you couldn’t immediately recognize my face, but yes, it was me. All I could see was how HUGE I looked in that shot. It’s from about three years ago, but still. Honestly, I had no idea I was that big. I was so embarrassed to see this photo that I didn’t want to admit it was me. I had to confess, only for my friend to say how beautiful she thought I looked. What?! I think she was just trying to be nice. Now that I have awakened to the reality of my body, how can I deal with how poorly I have taken care of myself in the past and how far I have to go to get to my goal? -- Blimped Out, Syracuse, New York
DEAR BLIMPED OUT: Give yourself credit for where you are today, and love the woman you were before. Your friend probably did see your beauty in the shot, regardless of how many extra pounds you were carrying. Better yet, she chose to celebrate your beauty when she sent you the image. Welcome that celebration and use it as motivation to keep working on yourself. Give yourself specific fitness goals that are manageable and within reach. Consult your doctor for guidance on what is healthy for your body. You may also want to see a nutritionist.
Most of all, be kind to yourself. You are doing the work. Stay focused. Love yourself as you are, and forgive yourself for whatever you did or didn’t do in the past. Be in the present, conscious of how you want to care for yourself.