What Gives Me the Right

When I started this journal I kept expecting someone to call me out on being a big phoney.  How can I be expected to be taken seriously when my weight problem is still so obviously out of control?

Fortunately that did not come until today, when I'm fully aware of exactly who I am and what I have to offer right now, not just when I get down to goal weight.

In amidst the dozens of supportive emails, I got an email from someone who said, "what makes you think you're one to talk to about weight..you look like you're at least 200 pounds over..don't bullshit people."

So I'm going to address that here. 

I am the face of obesity in America.  When you look at me, you see hundreds of thousands of others who are in exactly the same boat.  And they're the ones I speak to most when I come here.  They're the ones who see my struggle, my ups and my downs, and it makes it okay for them to try too.

I've already ripped away every conceivable barrier between me and the world to let them know how human we all are, even if we're hidden under layers of protective fat.

And I've been extremely honest along the way.  It's not my nature to lie or mislead people.  What you see with me is quite literally what you get.  And I'm not going to earn the right to have an opinion only when I get to goal weight. 

I'm in the battle zone every day.  I'm living this and that's what gives me the right to talk about it.

How people receive it, that's another story altogether.

Fortunately 99% of my emails have been positive.  This is the very first one that had anything negative to say.  And I'm glad it came now instead of three months ago when I started this journal. 

Because as of today, the opinions of others are not the requirement for me to continue - or share - my Journey. 

Thanks to all the people writing me wonderful letters of support and encouragement.  And thanks to everyone who says that I encourage them, even though I'm not through with my own Journey yet.  That's what inspires ME and keeps me going.  :)