My Bum

I recently spent some time thinking and writing a list about what life was like before I came into Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA). As I looked over the list, I realized that many of the things I wrote down were related to my bum (my backside, my derriere).

My bum broke a dining room chair at a friend’s dinner party. My bum had to sit in the “red seats” (the seats for the obese) at the amusement park. My bum used to leave a frighteningly large flat spot when I sat on the grass.

I used to feign claustrophobia so I could sit on the edge of an aisle and have a little more space for my bum to hang out instead of touching someone else in the adjoining seat. My big bum used to make me fear that the hairdresser’s chair might not be able to withstand being pumped up by the slender stylist’s trim legs. My bum used to fill up the recliner, leaving the dog out of luck when he wanted to sit by me.

Yes, my bum played an active role in my feelings of fear, doubt, and insecurity. I am now 140 pounds (about 64 kilos), lighter than when I started FA. I have been in my right-sized body for well over a year and can comfortably sit in any seat, whether at a dinner party, movie theater, car, FA meeting, or amusement park. I leave cute (yes, cute!) little bum prints on the grass. I don’t worry about hurting the hairdresser or their chair anymore. And the dog is now happy to have plenty of room to cuddle next to me in the recliner. I am so grateful.