Fattie On the Run: See Me...In the Flesh

It's been two weeks since my last post and I wait till the day before my 35th birthday to make this post. However, I'm going to be optimistic because this time next year, my photos will BE different. So, you might ask, "LaWanda, why do it?"

I'm doing this because for me there is no better way to overcome then to put it ALL on the table or in my case, post it on my blog for the world to see. For years, I have struggled with the way I look in pictures. Often preferring pictures that were just of my face rather than my entire body. You often hear people say, if you don't like something than change it. This is what this post is about. I'm sharing my test that WILL BE my testimony!

"You're a pretty girl, I don't know why you're single," "You have beautiful eyes and a pretty smile, why are you single?", and from guys I would hear, "You're wifey material (with the dreaded 'but' in their tone)" These statements turned into a continuous cycle of one thought, "If I'm pretty and have beautiful eyes, a pretty smile and I'm wifey material than the only reason I'm single is because of my weight." Add on the fact, that an ex-boyfriend once told me to my face that because I had gained quite a bit of weight since we had started dating that I went from being a '10' to a '5'. Yes I know, DEVASTATING, especially from someone you're in love with. On the other hand, this became my "carrot in front of the horse" while I was at the gym. Only problem, I WASN'T DOING IT FOR ME, I WAS DOING IT TO BE ACCEPTED.

What's changed? This journey to being a healthier woman in mind, body and spirit IS FOR ME!! I want to be a healthier weight and break the generational curse of diabetes and heart disease. I want to let go and be completely healed from emotional hurts (read more on this in the future) that evolve into weight issues.

It is with this mindset of healing that I introduce you to ME, IN THE FLESH......

This photo was taken after completing my first 5K marathon, the look on my face says it all... I was beat!

This photo was taken during a girl's weekend celebrating my god-sister's birthday. I remember thinking I would be enjoying myself so much more if I didn't feel like the biggest one in the crew.

After three years of working a full-time third shift job and going to school full-time during the day, this was one of the happiest days of my life. However, when I saw this photo and how big I look, I actually got teary-eyed for the wrong reasons.