First, I think I should thank the doctor who called me chunky. I know it seems strange to read. It's probably stranger to see me type it, but it's true. Without his comments, I wouldn't be here.
I have always been overweight, except when I was born (I look emaciated in all my baby pictures!). I have been relatively active my entire life. I have studied medicine, anthropology, epidemiology, and public health, so basically i know what to eat, and, actually what not to eat. But of course, as you well know, knowing something and actively applying it to life are two completely different things, especially when you've been brought up eating deliciously comforting foods that are fried & butter and/or cheese-laden!
Over the course of my life, I have been called every euphemistic and non-euphemistic name in the book, such as:
FAT
LARD ASS
BIG BONED
TWO-TON TUNA
WIDE LOAD
CURVY
STATUESQUE (even though, I think I'm technically too short)
HEAVY
OVERWEIGHT
OBESE
LARGER THAN LIFE
FULL BODIED
A LOT MORE OF YOU TO LOVE
and a few more from comments below:
THUNDER THIGHS
FLUFFY (although no one has ever had the audacity to say that to my face)
PORKY
PUDGY
Dr. B. (for bitch), was my pediatrician who never missed an opportunity to blame whatever ailments I had (even a spot of melanoma) on the fact that I was FAT (her word, mine was DISGUSTING). So then why after 30+ years of being called (and thinking of myself as) the above names, did being called CHUNKY by Dr. Twiddlededum stick? I don't really know. Perhaps because he thought he was being polite? Perhaps it was because he was genuinely shocked that someone with an obese BMI (39.2 if you must know) could actually have normal blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
Regardless, it was the kick in the pants that I needed to try to get healthier. Having written a thesis on heart disease, I knew that regardless of the good numbers Dr. Twiddlededum found, they wouldn't last forever and I needed to do something...and NOW.
Since my fated meeting, I have done a plethora of research and logged a lot of walking time with Addy, my darling pupcicle. I have even started helping a few friends make better choices. That's when I realized that what truly motivates me is motivating others. So this is also a THANK YOU, dear reader for stopping in, having a few laughs, hopefully learning a bit, commenting a bit and giving me the motivation I need to stay on track.
By the way, my BMI is now 34.5, and even though still technically obese, it is headed in the right direction. And that, my dear friends, is a very good thing and something not even Dr. Twiddlededum or Dr. B can argue!
~a little salt for your tequila & lime (for preventing scurvy, of course)
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