I have wrestled with an eating disorder and weight issues all my life ... As I went through therapy I was put on meds that made it blossom even more.

Since coming off meds I've lost close to 100 lbs. (50 more to go!) ... Not all of that was the meds though ... Being honest about that ... They only contributed about 30% - 50% to it.

The rest of it is my own doing ... I'll own it .... Sure there's the eating disorder as well as being starved to the point of eating dog food as a child, then having food used as a system of reward and punishment, etc.

Nevertheless, and regardless of what's happened up to this point in time, it is now my job to create a healthier me, and that is exactly what I'm working on.

I'm also working on self acceptance because nobody else has had my journey and they don't know me and my struggles ... So how they see me isn't nearly as important as how I see myself.

I've seen more people wince with empathy and compassion when I've let some self-deprecating remark about my size slip from my mouth ... So perhaps it isn't them who's my worst judge ... My worst critic and judge has always been me, myself and I.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: How we view ourselves is way more important than how others view us ... If we aren't happy with who we are, whether we can change it or not, it's up to us to treat ourselves with the empathy, compassion and kindness we deserve because, let's face it if we look for that kind of acceptance only from outside sources, we're bound to be disappointed and hurt time and time again.

,
Pfrog!