Self-worth

Okay, I had an interesting conversation with someone the other day. See, I put on a lot of weight when I was pregnant with Rachel. Not a big surprise, I've put on a lot of weight with all of my kids, but I usually lose most of it, eventually. Well, this woman kept saying how my self-esteem would go up when I lost the weight, how I would feel better about myself when I got skinnier, how moving down a pant size would boost my self-esteem. It almost made me feel like I should feel bad about myself. I finally told her that I am comfortable with the way I look, I'm not comfortable with the way I feel. It took me 9 months to put on the weight and I don't expect to lose it overnight. I am losing weight and fitting into some of my trimmer clothes, but more importantly I want to feel healthy. I want to have energy to play with my kids. I want my back, legs and arms strong so that I can run with them and carry them when they are tired. I want my lungs and heart to be healthy and strong. That is more important to me than a number on a scale or a size on a tag. What is it about our society that says we must be a certain size to feel good? I know that the woman I was talking to overcame a lot to lose weight at one time in her life and works hard never to go back to that place. I understand that it is a sensitive subject for her. How can we help empower people to live healthy rather than live skinny? I know some people are skinny when they live healthy, but some of us have a body shape that will never be a size 2. I have embraced my body and will continue to be healthy and not let society or numbers tell me what I am worth. I know that my worth is so much more than what I look like.