Throw Back Thursday: Being Called Pregnant

Today I am going to share a story that I have only told to maybe two people. It's a story about being called pregnant, when in fact I was not pregnant. It was mortifying, and embarrassing, and there is a reason that I never share it. Who the heck wants to admit to being called pregnant?

This happened when I was 20 years old. As I have stated before, I have been overweight for most of my life. I was not always 246 pounds, but I have always rolled on the chubby side of life. And I tend to carry most of my weight in my boobs, and stomach. I was probably around 210-220 pounds, this is just a guess, as I avoided scales.

The worst part of this story might in fact be that I was called pregnant before I even reached my heaviest weight. Excuse me while I bury my face in my hands for a minute. Here is a picture of what I looked like during that time. My god, look at those boobs. It's hard to believe I continued to grow. It's also hard to believe that I thought that this dress made me look thin.....

One evening I was at the grocery store, I even remember exactly what I was wearing. A cute checkered skirt, with a form fitting shirt, and a cardigan. I thought that I had the skirt pulled up high enough on my stomach, but I guess some woman had another opinion. 

I was standing in the bread aisle when a very thin woman came up to me, with the smuggest look on her face and said "congratulations on the pregnancy!" She kept walking down the aisle before I even had a chance to comprehend what she had said to me. 

By the look on her face, I knew that she knew that I was not pregnant. She was just being a smug bitch. Did she really make herself feel better? And if she did, I pity her. She made me feel ugly, and gross. Her comment did not inspire me to lose weight, her comment made me want to eat large amounts of food. 

She ruined my night, my week, and even made me doubt myself as a person. I liked who I was despite my weight. Did I need to lose weight? Yes. But there is no reason that she needed to be so unkind. 

And for arguments sake, let's say that she actually thought I was pregnant. Damn. I really, really should have had my aha moment right then and there. But I didn't. I still didn't want to lose weight. I still didn't think I was that big. It took gaining about 20+ more pounds before I was ready to change. And that's okay. These types of experiences only helped to fuel my fire. I may not have been ready to lose weight in that moment, but it was still part of my journey. 

My point is, don't pressure yourself to change your lifestyle right this minute. It can be intimidating. Don't feel the need to make big changes all at once. Make small ones. Try to take a walk today. Or drink an extra glass of water. Or skip that late night treat you were going to have. 

Just remember that weight loss is a journey that never ends. Don't look for instant results, just be happy with the little changes you are making towards your goal!

Oh, and my last piece of advice: If you suspect someone is pregnant but don't actually know, err on the side of caution!