Fat people are treated VERY badly. In the press, on the street, at work, everywhere. It's pathetic. Men who used to look at me a few years ago with distain now look at me with lust. Why the difference? It's disgusting. It's very obvious that this world is so weight conscious that being fat is a contagious disease.

When I was at my highest weight, 235, 20 years ago, I was invisible. No guy wanted anything to do with me. They made fun of me. I was teased and tormented. I was a "pity date " at best.

But in the last week I have been asked out by 3 different men. It's not my personality that's changed! My body is different but I am the same person I always was inside. Bubbly, outgoing, articulate, funny, smart... (blowing my horn for a minute here)

People don't understand how insensitive they sound when they make jokes or ugly reference to people's weight.

Although I still have a nasty roll of stomach skin that won't go away and still a few # from goal, my SO says I am beautiful, that he loves me and that he doesn't see an ounce of fat on me. That's how it should be. Unconditional acceptance. True love.

The general public should wrap their heads around the fact that being fat is only partially about what you put in your mouth. I hate how people are so superficial. Sometimes it is about food sensitivities, allergies, hormones, nature or simple bad luck. Sometimes it is about what we eat and how little we exercise.

When I was fat, no one saw ME, they saw fat. I couldn't get a good job, or a good date because people couldn't get past how I looked. Those same people fall all over themselves now to get my attention. Those people make my skin crawl.

Sorry for the rant but I had to sound off on this one! We are all here to improve ourselves and meet our goals and quite frankly, the heck with anyone who is standing in my way. People who treated me badly when I was fat have no place in my life now.

I am coming up for my 20 year high school reunion and am very interested in how differently people I went to school with will treat me 20 years and 100 # later.

Thanks for reading so far, but it is a topic near and dear to all of our hearts.

Julie