1.) when I complained to a friend about being fat she said “you’re not fat, you’re…plump!” I remember how my heart sank into my stomach.
2.) one time when I was younger, I had my friend 3 way call the guy I liked to ask about me. he said “it’s not that I don’t like her, but she’s just so ugly and FAT (literally emphasized the word fat) I could never date her. The guys would never let me hear the end of it.” I hung up and cried for hours. I refused to go to school for 3 days.
3.) I was just walking to the bus like normal and a boy began following behind me chanting “one tubby tubby, two tubby tubby.” Everyone laughed along with him.
4.) a friend of mine at lunch was staring at me as I ate one day, and then mentioned offhandedly “you know, you’d be really pretty if you just lost weight.” I ate the rest of my lunch in the bathroom by myself.
5.) a guy friend of mine was mentioning what the other boys at school thought of each of us. he told me how hot they all thought my best friend was. when I asked what they said about me, he just paused and laughed uncomfortably before saying he had to go to class. I didn’t go to class because I couldn’t clean the streams of mascara off my face.
6.) when I began eating less at lunch, my guy friends would tell me I ate like a bird, and how cute it was. I remember how amazing that felt. those words made me stronger.
7.) when I returned to church the first time after losing 60 lbs, my friends jaw dropped and said “wow, you lost a TON of weight.” those words felt so good I nearly cried.
8.) my first day of freshman year of high school, my friends all approached me, amazed at my transformation. “You got hot!” “Who knew you were so pretty!” I felt on top of the world.
9.) I remember walking past boys and watching their jaws drop and their heads turn all the way around to see me. I remember hearing gasps. I remember a boy stuttering as he told me I was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
10.) at one point, I developed a crush on our schools quarterback. he was easily one of the most popular boys in school. I still believed I would never be good enough to get his attention. around the time I reached 90 lbs, he asked me to homecoming. I remember how powerful I felt. as if I were a queen standing next to the king I rightfully earned.
I want to feel this power again. I want to feel adored and loved. I never want to feel these thing I felt so long ago, and I am ashamed I let myself get back to here. But I’ll fix this. I’ve done it once before. I will reclaim my throne.