@SprinkL3. You should write a book about this, you sound very educated on this subject and I bet it would help people. I learned a lot from reading that. And I knew some of it from my background in sociology.

Because of my disease, I am very skinny. But there was a time I was close to obesity. I spent years exercising, counting calories, doing weight loss programs, and trying different diets. The thyroid can actually cause weight gain and no matter what you do, you won't be able to lose all of it because the gain is connected to your thyroid. It tells your body to put on weight not to lose it. People are treated like it's their fault but goodness, I can't imagine anyone overweight sitting around and telling their thyroid they want to gain more weight. I dislike this culture of blaming the individual for medical problems they have. Yes, diet is important, and eating healthy is important. After developing my disease, I was dropping weight without trying. And realized I could eat whatever I wanted and didn't have to count calories for the first time in years. I cried. A whole entire part of my mind was freed because I wasn't so focused on weight loss and trying to make my body be what society says it should be. I ate cheeseburgers and french fries. I ate cookies and cake. I ate all the things I had denied to myself for years and realized how toxic it was to live that way. I feel it's abusive to the self. Don't lose weight to love yourself and convince others to love you; love yourself already, and choose to lose weight as an act of self-love. But also understand you are attractive/beautiful and lovable just as you are.

Let's agree to both learn! I have so many questions and there is so much I'd love to know. I don't care so much about having a longer life span, I feel I have no control over that. But more that I want to be happy and healthy while I am here. We deserve healing, health, and happiness. I am ready to upgrade my experience.