Happiful March 2020

I choose my
health and
happiness over the
approval of others.
I choose me
OUR EXPERT SAYS
go of the importance that
I had placed on being a
certain weight.
I turned out to be one of
those people who naturally
have a higher body weight
than some. This can mean
dealing with increased
stigma around weight and
size, and knowing that
some people will look at
me and decide that I am
unhealthy/lazy/greedy,
while knowing nothing
about my lifestyle, or who
I am as a person. I am also
aware of my own weight
privileges, in that there are
people at higher weights
who suffer a lot more
stigma and discrimination.
My body is the size that
I can live my life as a
healthy and happy person.
If I wanted to be smaller,
I’d have to focus on calorie
restriction, and possibly
an excessive amount
of exercise, and we all
know where that would
lead. I accept my body. I
know I am doing what is
right for me. I choose my
health and happiness over
the approval of others. I
choose me.
I have been ‘in remission’
as I like to call it (as I don’t
believe eating disorders
can ever be fully cured)
for five years now. It was
a long, hellish journey to
end up here, but it was
the most important thing
that I have ever done for
myself. If I could say one
thing to those thinking
about fighting that war, I
would say that however
indescribably hard the
battle is, it is all worth it – a
billion times over.
To get to where I am
now, I chose to reject the
ideas and ideals that are so
entrenched in our culture
and our society. I chose
my actual health over the
idea that you have to be
a certain weight, shape,
or size to be healthy. I
chose my actual happiness
over the absolute lie that
you have to be a certain
number on the scales to
be happy. Those lies are
fed to us all day, every day,
everywhere we look, but
I don’t buy it any more. I
have decided to live my
life in a way that means
working with my body
and letting it be whatever
weight, shape, or size it
needs to be to enable me
to be healthy and happy.
I will not change that for
anyone. I choose me.
Over the years,
suffering from her
eating disorder caused
Sarah severe symptoms
that brought her to
a crisis point in her
life. She found online
resources that helped
her to change how she
identified with her body.
They inspired her and
helped her to stay in
a healthy relationship
with herself and food.
It helped her to value
her own opinions of her
body over that of others.
Often this is first step
in changing – knowing
and finding who you
are, not what others say
you should be. Now
Sarah is much
more confident
and comfortable
with life.
Graeme Orr | MBACP (Accred) UKRCP
Reg Ind counsellor
March 2020 • happiful.com • 41