Shell - your letter made me laugh out loud!
YOu - I loved your perspective about being a better friend to your fat than it has been to you.

I know this is a strange idea to wrap our heads around, but I like it because it helps us focus on feeling compassion and love for a part of ourselves that we have always hated. And hated PASSIONATELY.

But my extra fat isn't there because it wants to depress me, make me miserable, or "thwart" attempts at a happy life. It's there because it's under the mistaken impression that it's trying to help me survive a famine. It's not my body's fault - it's just doing what it's been programmed to do for thousands of years. The fat cells are probably thinking, "Good job, lads! We're keeping Zilly alive! There must be an upcoming food draught for her to be eating so much! Keep working, lads! Our job isn't done!"

I have always had real issues with self hatred, which I'm sure is nothing new to many of us here. We spent our days running an endless internal dialogue through our heads that tells us we're "disgusting," "not worthy," "fat," "gross," "unlovable" . . . you name it.

But what if we replace those thoughts with thoughts like "You're amazing!" "You're healthy and happy!" or "You have a fit body that you enjoy!"

Eventually, if we drown out the mean, critical, "popular" girl taking up so much space in our psyche, the sweet, compassionate "friend" self will take over. I hope.

Anyhoo. Enough rambling. Just feeling thoughtful today.


These are all really great.