Body image post

Hi, there. Guess what? I'm fat. I am obese. You can tell that, when you look at me. You can see that I have a lot of fat around my middle, that my upper arms aren't as slim and toned as they should be. You might be disgusted. You might think to yourself, "Ugh, how could you allow that to happen?" You can think a lot of things when you look at me. You can see quite a bit just by looking at me.
You know what you can't see? You can't see that I've lost over 40 lbs. You can't see the tons and tons of stretchmarks I have, from gaining 96 lbs between two pregnancies. You can't see how hard I've worked to get muscles underneath this fat.
You know what I can't see when I look at you? I can't see how much you are worth, how much you are loved, I can't even see how healthy you are or aren't. Not at just a glance, not even at a solid stare. You know why? Because appearances can be deceiving. I'm obese. My BMI is 34, and I have fought hard to get it there, and yet, I have wonderful blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. I, with my BMI at 34, might have better vitals than someone with a BMI of 23. You never know.
Yes, I am fat. You may or may not be. It doesn't matter to me. I don't know your story. I don't know if you've struggled with an eating disorder, or an over/under active thyroid. I don't know what issues you have. I just know that you're a person. That's all that anyone knows about you or me, at a glance.
Please, before your curl your lip in disgust at that person who is fatter/thinner/curvier than you, think a moment. That's all I ask. Just stop and think.