The summer season is upon us and I am yet again struggling to be comfortable half naked in front of others. I know, we all suffer from body image issues. Damn that media for all those unwanted thoughts of not being “perfect” enough. Shame on all of us who tear down others because we are not secure with our bodies. For those of you who know me and are thinking, “What is she talking about? She’s so skinny!” STOP CALLING ME SKINNY! It is almost as insulting as calling someone fat. My body image issues stem from years of being told I have chicken legs, being called skinny, and being told I need to eat a cheeseburger. Up until 3 years ago I ate all the damn cheeseburgers I wanted and it didn’t help.

Do you know what I want to be called? Healthy! I want to be complimented on how healthy I look. Not on how thin I am. I want muscle definition, I want to have stamina, and I want to know that I am in the best shape I can be in. How does one achieve this goal? First of all get off my ass and eat a healthy diet. But I don’t want to be one of those people who eats to live. I live to eat and would like to keep it that way. My sweet tooth is almost as out of control as my constant hankering for cheese. I know I need to better understand a healthy balance for my diet, as I write this I am eating a box of thin mints. What? I’m not perfect.

I want to feel good about myself physically. Over the next few weeks I am going to write about my health journey. I try to be healthy and lord knows I need to be. Having heart failure is a constant reminder of needing to be in the best health possible. Starting Monday I am going to do an 8 week fitness challenge. I’ve got to give myself the weekend to finish off my girl scout cookies and Easter candy. Don’t judge. I will do different work outs, have a healthier diet, and get myself into a healthier state. If you have any suggestions as to what worked for you please feel free to send me them. If you want someone to be healthier and feel more confident, but you need someone to lay it out for you then I am your gal. Time to feel better about getting half naked in front of my peers!