Phyical Wellness
THE LONG ROAD TO LOVING MYSELF
APRIL, NAUGHTY GYM
I was eleven years old the first time an adult pointed out a dimple on my leg. I could feel the heat of embarrassment flush my cheeks as I tried to melt into the floor. Something was wrong with me. Up until that point, I had never given my body much thought. I loved my body; it served a purpose. I grew up with four brothers. I was an athlete and a tomboy who could keep up with any boy in the neighborhood in a pickup game of basketball or baseball, and I had always felt strong. I ate what I wanted with little thought. That one thoughtless comment by an adult led me down a long journey of battling eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and low self-esteem.
My belief that there was something wrong with me was solidified a few months later while at a slumber party with friends. The girls decided to weigh themselves. I had never given much thought about what I weighed, with my only time on a scale being at a doctor's office. When my turn came, I stepped on the scale – outweighed every girl at the slumber party by almost thirty pounds. Never mind that I was also a foot taller than them. None of the girls were mean about it, but they were just as surprised as I was.
15
