Today, October 6, is National Plus Size Appreciation Day.

Recently I was reading the National Day Calendar, on the suggestion from a fellow internet marketer. It was very interesting to read all the different, fun days this calendar celebrates, and it gives a little background as to the “why” of the day, and made suggestions as to how it can be celebrated.

As I read the article, I thought about my most recent visit to my medical doctor for the results from some tests I did earlier in the year. To be very honest I was Not very happy when I heard the results from these tests, and also when I saw what the scale said about me. Yes, I said it- the weight reflected on the scale, screamed these questions to me- ” Are you crazy?” “What is wrong with you?” ” Why have you allowed yourself to get this way?”

These questions immediately sent me to the place where I have been working on to reject the negative feelings of being a failure. This takes me back to the reason I had started to journal my interaction with the Master Key Experience, and the principles it taught about how to positively feed our subconscious minds.

When I think about my life and what I want to leave as my legacy, one of the two things I chose to make my personal, pivotal need was True Health. True health for me not only meant that it was physical, but also spiritual, emotional, financial, mental and psychological. It was here with the physical aspect that I felt “attacked.”

How could I have allowed myself to pile on all this weight? The answer came as quickly as the question. I heard, ” Val, when you do not watch what you eat, and do not move, and consistently follow unhealthy habits, what do you expect?”

Does this mean I have lost my vision of what I want my healthy body to look like? Does it mean I am no longer interested in total, true health?

Over the years I have pretty much been an “all or nothing” type of thinker. It was very black and white for me, and my hubby would tell me that at times the black overlapped the white, and the grey area was formed. To me, he was telling me that one hiccup did not mean it should be over and I should not even keep trying. “Just throw in the towel, and call it a day.” This was my mantra.

My body image when I looked in the mirror, was that of a woman who did not look good in clothes, because I was not slimmer, and looked a certain way.

Then came this celebration day, National Plus Size Appreciation Day!

When I read the opening statement of this article, it surprised but at the same time elevated my spirit. It pretty much referred to the plus size men and women as “gorgeous” and who may be larger than life in so many extraordinary, and so many different ways because beauty came in all sizes. Wow!

Do not get me wrong here. I never thought plus size women were not beautiful. There have been so many “full bodied” women out there who when they dressed and strutted their stuff with so much confidence and swagger, I have always wished I could be like them. I saw beauty in them, but did not see that in me. This is the reason I have hardly taken any full body pictures of myself because I thought when others saw my size they would think, “she’s so big.”

The article encourages plus size men and women to put their best foot forward, and embrace who they are, realizing we bring value to the lives of others and our relationships. This reminds me that I do have accomplishments I should be proud of, and I should focus on these, and at the same time appreciate those accomplishments in others.

It is a fact how we perceive ourselves, and how we feel about our appearance can affect our lives, no matter our ages. So how can I celebrate me at this stage on my way to my ideal body? I think the very first thing I need to do is remind myself that, ” I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”( Ps.139:14). This truth is real regardless of my size. I am also in the process, and not yet at the end of my journey. In fact, I should enjoy the climb!

I reflected on some of the methods I had used in the past to help me on the journey to getting healthy. One of them that was effective and had started giving me noticeable changes in size, health and body was when I did a smoothie cleanse and started focusing on what I put into my mouth. I lost some of the weight, and then became complacent, and unaware that I was drifting far from the progress I was making.

I constantly have to remind myself that a journey to a destination begins with one step at a time. While I am moving towards my goal of True Health, I need to be kind to myself and I should observe what other women in my size category are doing with their lives.

The article further went on to give suggestions on how to participate in this Plus Size Celebration. I found the suggestions very interesting and doable. They are as follows:

• We should wear a new style that comes out, making sure we wear clothes that fit us well and are stylish because they allow us to step out in confidence.
• A word to retailers is that they should consider expanding their plus size collection, while listening to their clientele and giving them what they ask for.
• We should share our favorite look without being afraid to brag, and while we are dressed up we should just go have some fun.

I am not saying it is or will be easy. I need to revisit what has worked for me in the past, and just do the necessary. Further reading has led me to discover that, National Plus Size Appreciation Day, was founded by, Women Rock, Inc in 2016 to encourage self-love in a society which puts so much emphasis on how we should look.

This confirmed to me that I have allowed this societal stigma to affect my self perception. Viewing myself as “gorgeous” and having style and flair, even at my Plus size, is a beautiful place to be. I am okay as I am Now and will continue to be okay as I work towards True Health. This is my promise.

I always keep my Promises!