Summer Swimming.......

It is one of my most favorite things about living where we are. Access to the big pool!

The thing I can do without snide comments from the skinny ladies! (That's putting it nicely)

I have been in struggle mode with my weight for some time now. Anyone who has read my blog knows the hurt in my heart for not only myself but for my daughter Lauren who is also overweight. As I have said before it is all new territory for me. Well kinda. I mean as I child none of us struggled with weight, we ate what we wanted and never had any worries about becoming overweight, until I got married and started having babies.

Lauren was the 3rd child and I struggled alot with my gestational diabetes with her. She was the heaviest of all my children born weighing in at 7.13 which is not a big deal. The problem was the baby weight never came off instead it just creeping on. I love her and I try to keep her active, but it's hard. It's hard to tell her no at birthday parties, that she can't have cake. It's hard to tell her no to food period when her siblings can pretty much eat whatever they want without gaining an ounce.

A few days ago I was really hurt by a lady's comments at the pool. Mike had picked up McDonald's and brought it to the pool. It was a Sunday afternoon and cheeseburgers were on sale. We figured we would get some burgers and small fries and just go eat and then swim. Well apparently it offended the lady beside us because she had all kinds of comments. Her son walked up and asked mommy can we have McDonald's for dinner and she snapped back with a quick "No!" "Daddy is going to grill some chicken and vegetables on the grill." The child kinda grumbled under his breath and she quickly asked "what was that?" "Why would you want to go to McDonalds" "They serve nothing but garbage there!" By this time Lauren is looking at me with a guilty look on her face. The mother then asked her son if he was hungry and he said yes and she grabbed a ziploc bag of mushed watermelon and wanted him to eat that. He looked less than thrilled so he ran back off to the pool. Lauren then decided she was done with her food, I think she felt guilted out of her cheeseburger by this skinny woman. I was really frustrated. I understand that people may not treat my situation the way I do but do you really have to be rude in front of a child. She might as well have called me an overweight fatty to my face and called it a day. But instead she made several snide comments loud enough for us to hear and to hurt us.

I really hate that some skinny people are so closed minded that they think we want to be this way. That we should just exercise. I really would like to know what her opinion is does she think I just feel my kid junk all day? Actually I don't cause I heard what most of her opinion was and I didn't appreciate it. I guess in her perfect world no one is overweight. It really saddens my heart to know parents are teaching their kids to be so closed minded. These are the kids, that Lauren comes home and tells me they hit her in her stomach and called her fat. What can you do? All I know is to kill them with kindness. To make them see that FAT isn't contagious and that life is to short to judge people by their waistline.

For most people obesity is a disease, and given the choice they would not stay that way. But doing it alone takes alot of time and will power. When people beat them with their words, it's like taking the will power right out from under neath them. This world has become too judgemental. I can only hope and pray that I am raising my children to see the good in all people. Point out something positive instead of searching for the negative and we will all make this world a brighter place!