Fat girl with a great personality...

First, I would like to apologize for being MIA the past week or so. My goal is to blog every week, but I failed last week. I don't really have an excuse, other than the fact that I just wasn't inspired to write anything. But, after having a great conversation with one of my clients yesterday, I got inspired to write. :)

This particular client was telling me how people have told her that they not only have noticed a change in her appearance, but they have noticed a change in her attitude. Everyone tells her how great she looks after losing body fat and developing muscle. However, some of the people closest to her can't understand her new attitude. It gets mistaken for over-confident and bitchy, yet in reality, for the first time in her life, she has the confidence to not be the "fat girl with the great personality." She holds her head high, wears cute clothes, embraces her curves and feels beautiful without make up smothered on her face. Now, THAT is beautiful!

I have trained people of different shapes and sizes. In particular, when I counsel overweight women, every single one of them has taken on a split personality. The fat girl puts up the impression of being one of the following:
-The fat girl with the pretty face.
-The fat girl with the great personality
-The fat girl who will do anything for you
-The fat girl who is super funny
-The fat girl who accepts her body because she was "born this way"

These girls get walked over their entire life. They will cheer you up, help you out, make you laugh, and can even make YOU feel better about the way you look. They lack confidence and feel both physically and mentally defeated. These girls tend to be great actresses because they are forced to put on a show everyday to cover up the fact that they lack self-esteem. They find another way to hide the embarrassment of their body, or the condition of their health by taking on the alter ego. They let the alter ego define them because it makes it easier to accept their current state of being. This is the fat friend, and although no one ever wants to permanently accept that title, many of them hold that title for the majority of their life.

Now, I know that this is a generalization. I base this off numerous conversations with people before and after their healthy success. I do not mean to offend anyone with these generalizations. We all have put up some kind of cover at one point or another in our life. We all fake confidence in certain situations. It's just so damn beautiful to see someone stop faking it, and genuinely exude confidence, self-esteem, and drive.

She has taken control of her life. This doesn't mean that she doesn't work hard to maintain it every day. She may not always have the support or even the understanding of those around her, but she refuses to let go of this positive feeling. The people who used to walk over her have had to re-evaluate their interaction with her. She is seen as a different woman, a new, improved, confident woman.

For the first time in my clients life, she has found strength and confidence in her own skin. No makeup, no favors, no jokes about fat rolls. She exudes pride...a healthy, beautiful, hard working alter ego that she has truly become.
On a personal note, I'm very proud of her, and all the people I have the pleasure of interacting with each day at work. They keep me motivated and in check with how I view myself and my body. I must lead by example, and these are the people (and also the girls I coach)who ensure that I get my ass out of bed to workout, that I make the right nutrition choices to fuel me each day. Writing this blog helps my head stay in the right place because I know there are people out there who do appreciate the words I write. I work every day to make sure I lead the healthiest life possible and hopefully, somewhere a long the way, I will influence someone to do the same thing.