I’m having a dilemma, & maybe all of you can help me sort it out!

(TW: Unintentional weight loss?)

My entire life, I’ve been “obese” by medical standards, and I’ve learned to own my body as a fat woman, and identifying with body & fat acceptance empowered me to finally become who I am today.  Which is really, really great.  

Recently, though, I got put on ADHD meds that completely eliminate my appetite, and while I’m still making myself eat a healthy amount, I’ve lost a ton of weight - so much so that I’m 10lbs away from not even being considered “overweight” anymore.  

I still feel like a brilliant fat woman, but obviously my body has changed; I’m not sure whether it’s even appropriate to identify as fat anymore, since my weight has dropped so drastically.  I don’t know how to reconcile this new body with my old one that I had come to love & appreciate for what it was.  I’m worried that I might be overreacting, but it’s actually a world of difference, and this is completely foreign to me.

I’m sure that loads of you have had unexpected changes happen to your bodies, & I was wondering how you dealt with that sort of difference in… alignment, I guess?  I would really appreciate any input that you’ve got to give me. 

xx

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Your experiences as a fat woman helped to shape you into who you are today. Those experiences will never, ever be erased and are always going to be a part of you, how you see the world, how you treat other people…etc.

You are completely NOT overreacting! It is scary when our bodies undergo an immense amount of change without our permission or intent driving it along.

Shit happens anyway - your body doesn’t wait for you to catch up with the change. Be kind to yourself as you adjust.

Someone asked me last week how I would feel if I woke up to find myself in a thinner body, which I found an intriguing thing to consider - but one never knows how one will react until it all goes down for real, and my body is persistent in its fatness, so I’m quite sure I will never know.

Really, I think a lot of emotions and thoughts would be going through my head if I were you - but I’d try to focus on the things that haven’t changed. The you inside, the person you have grown to be, your values and ways of thinking - because that is quite persistent, true, and easier to grasp.

I wish I could speak more to this - can anyone else relate?

<3 Haley