What do you love about yourself RIGHT NOW?

 Drop Dead Diva.

At first this show slightly annoyed me. Some of the usual "fat girl habits" that the main character has in the show to me at least seemed a bit over-dramatic and really pushed the whole stereotypical view of obese people. However I like the actress that plays the main character so I have still been watching the first season on Netflix here and there.  

Finally this show gave me something aside from the awesome actress that plays Jane Bingum. I was watching Episode 9: The Dress. In this episode Jane finds a gorgeous dress in a magazine like Vogue and decides since she is a lawyer and makes enough she wants to buy it. When she goes into the clothing store they only carry up to size 10...Jane is a size 16. Have we not all been there?? You see something gorgeous on the rack and search with hope that your size is somewhere in that rack--only to be sorely dissappointed. That is sucky enough!  

But what happens to Jane after that really hits home. They ask a store clerk if there is any larger sizes of the dress elsewhere in the store and the clerk rather rudely says "the dress isnt meant for her silhouette" another clerk also suggests she go to one of the bargain outlet type places to find something with an empire waist. When Jane asks "Are you asking me to leave?" the women smirks and says "also have a good day."  

OMG I wanted to slap the *****! Being treated like that is something I think a lot of us could relate to. Maybe I wasn't kicked out of a clothing store before, but I was certainly treated like I was less important than someone else of a smaller size than me. Of course because its a show, ultimately Jane gets the store to realize they are discriminating AND cutting off a big portion of women as most are not size 10 and under. Unfortunately that does not usually happen in real life, does it?  

I am so glad I had this surgery but I have realized that I never should have been ashamed of myself regardless of my size. I never should have let anyone else make me feel ashamed of myself. I am making a pact to myself, and to other obese individuals like myself that I will never be ashamed of, or forget the woman I am right now, even when my size is under a 10.  

In fact here are some reasons why I am so awesome the way I am right now!
1- I have pretty brown eyes! They look especially sexy with blue and purple eye make up!
2- I am a pretty darn good writer! One day I will have a book published...
3- I am artistic and creative.
4- I can be very comedic and do pretty good impressions of others.
5- I can dance...big or small I can shake my ass!
6- I look awesome with short hair--not everyone can pull that off!
7- Even at a heavier weight I have nice leg muscles
8- I have sexy full lips
9- I am well-known for my big boobs
10- I am caring, loving, and loyal. I am always willing to give people a chance.  

So yeah... I am loving me today. Tell me what you love about you! I wanna know!  

Bravo!!!!! That is an awesome post...You are a great writer!!!!
My Love List:
I love that I am not currently gaining weight!!! Yay
That I have a collection of super people in my life!!!
That I can see my blessings even on bleak days!!!
That I am happy to be me and happy to be right where I am in my life and my journey!!!

Your Positive Attitude will keep you going even when nothing else will!!!
Melissa

 Aww shucks  thanks ! I do love writing!

I love your list! and also the quote in your signature! You are right, a positive attitude can make all the difference in the journey! 

I love that I am full of love.
I love that I have family and friends that care about me.
I love that I am alive.
I love that I am a positive force in many people's live's.
I love that I judge people by thier actions, not thier appearance.
I love that I always try to treat people the way I would like to be treated.

I just saw your vid  trip to Tijuana It was great!  I'm glad the surgery went well for you, and wish you much success.    

Woo-hoo! *back flip*

Hey Love!  Glad to see you are back and in good spirits!!!  OMG, this situation sounds like a "fat girl" version of what happened to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, right?  F&^cking completely unacceptable. 

I have never had that happen to me, but I was discriminated against for my obesty in other ways.  One time, I went to a Chinese Buffet with my girlfriends and the owner asked MY FRIEND to tell me that I was limited to 3 trips to the buffet line.  When she asked why, the lady simply said "Because she eat too much."  Oh-My-Gah.  Who says that?  We had been eating there for over 10 years.  My friend told her not to worry, because NONE of us would be going through the buffet line and to please refund our money.  She tried to apologize, but there was no way to redeem herself after that low blow.  I was humiliated and mortified.  I decided that the best way to remedy the situation was to go public and make sure that nobody eats there EVER (if I could help it). 

I called a local weekly entertainment magazine in San Diego and they agreed to run the story about what happened and how overweight people are generally treated in public.  One and a half years later, the restaurant closed down.  Probably not as a direct effect of my article....but I like to think I *might* have had something to do with it.  That place used to be packed ALL of the time.

Just wanted to share my humiliating experience as a morbidly obese girl.  It was nuts.

 Thanks I am actually feeling really good. I hope I dont get that post op depression...so far it looks like I havent hehe. But it helps I have someone home with me while I am recovering.

Wow about the chinese restuarant situation. That is awesome that you went after them like that, as they totally deserved it.  

I decided that I am going to get a wallet sized photo of my before made and keep it with me because if i see someone bigger getting treated differently than me I plan to make whoever is doing it feel just as awkward as they are probably making the other person feel. and also if anyone I know or meet is struggling with weight and health issues I can let them know that I was once there and tell them my story. As soon as I have extra money i am probably joining the OAC too. I feel like obese individuals need more representation and more people to stand up for them. Its not right how we can be treated. I absolutely loved your story. You are a rockstar in my book lol

OMG that's awesome!!  Well, if your writing is any indication of how you are as a speaker...you will be a huge asset to the OAC.  Glad you are feeling so wonderful already and you are indeed lucky to have someone home with you!

P.S.  I am SUCH a different, more outspoken woman these days.  If that restaurant situation were to happen now...I'd have ripped that lady a new one.  At the time, I was so stunned and mortified, I said nothing and let my friend handle it while I left in shame.  NEVER again. :)

I'm having my vertical sleeve on Thursday!

Your buffet story is horrible - I am sorry that happened to you - and I really do love the way you handled it.

On that same line, I want to share that I went into a nice CHICOs clothing store recently and was greeted at the door with a smile (smirk) and a comment........."Welcome to CHICOs.....do you know about our store?  We don't carry your size."

I said I was just looking.  THE NERVE.  NOW that I've had time to think about that I have a lot of other replies I'd like to have shared with her.  How did she know I wasn't a millionaire looking to buy a friend a whole wardrobe?  That was total discrimination.

When I do wear their sizes I'm going back to let them know I'm ready to buy a whole new wardrobe but will not be shopping in their store because of how I was treated, and will explain.

Anyhow.  On the lighter, more happy side of life......it's awesome to read above to see people's lists of what they love about themselves RIGHT NOW.

At the top of my list is my role in life as a wife and mom, and one who is able to have this surgery this week and make big changes in my life - to live longer and in better health!  Hallelujah!

wbrabbit