Loving our own bodies is, to say the least, difficult at times.  So to hear somebody say they are proud of the way they look, flaws and all, is amazing!  What happens though when it crosses over from just being a vanity concern to an actual health issue?  

At 19 years old, 5 foot 7.5 inches (you read right, I'm not losing that 1/2 inch!), and 210 pounds I was obese!  Not chubby or overweight as I considered myself.  I was full blown obese.  Looking back at pictures now, the fact that I was that big at such a young age is mind boggling but the truth is, I was causing all this myself and doing nothing to make things better.  I hated vegetables, loved junk food.  Didn't drink much water but wouldn't turn down a cup of juice.  Didn't participate in anything remotely physical but loved to hang around (and eat).  Now I'm not saying that all I did was eat crap all day!  My parents are loyal to their latin roots and we had home cooked meals every day but I think it's safe to say that at least 50% of what I ate back then, was no good for me.

'Big and Proud' is great but not so much when it's at the expense of your own well-being.  I'm not saying everybody should be skinny (by many standards, I am not thin) but we should all love ourselves sufficiently to know how much is enough.  Once the simple task of going up a couple of flights of stairs turns into an impossible mission and getting to the top means you're huffing and puffing while taking breaks in between floors; it's definitely a sign that you need to get that booty up and become more active.

Same goes for our eating.  Have you ever noticed that when eating a healthy meal, you start feeling satisfied much faster than if you would've had your favorite fast-food meal?  Or questioned the fact that you can eat a whole party size bag of chips and still be craving more?  Whole foods are rich in nutrients and flavors, allowing your body to realize when it's had enough.  Junk food, on the other hand, is designed to do the exact opposite.  It's made to meet 'Bliss Point', which means they give you enough flavor to keep you intrigued but not enough flavor that you'll feel full.  All this, while adding the perfect combination of salt and sugar to send pleasure signals to your brain and before you know it... you're addicted.  So much science behind one bag of Cheeto's!  One quick tip to reduce the junk food addiction is to start with the 5 ingredient rule.  If it has more than 5 ingredients and scientific words you can't pronounce -red flag for processing- only have it as a special treat.

I know a lot of times we think it's just too hard but trust me, cheesy as it may sound, it's soooo worth it!  I wouldn't say I was 'Big and Proud' because I always did catch myself wishing I was skinny but I did know even as a 'big' girl, I was still beautiful.  Beautiful but easily affected by others way of viewing me.  Beautiful but heading towards a slippery, unhealthy path.  I felt sluggish and literally 'heavy' most of the time.  So yeah, you might feel beautiful and love all the extra curves but is it really worth your health?  Are those extra 20 pounds you're carrying around really worth risking becoming infertile and 50% more prone to cancer? 

More than 50 pounds lighter, today, I have never felt better!  I am healthier, more active, and happier than I would have ever been if I wouldn't have decided to make a change.  It probably sounds overly dramatic, but I swear, deciding to embark on this new lifestyle is in my top 3 best decisions ever!

So yeah, F*#k everybody's beauty standards!  I did this for myself!

'Til next time, lovelies.