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5 Ways to Tell if You’re Truly Fat or if You Have Body Dysmorphia
Because Gaining Weight Can Weigh Heavy on the Mind
“What do you mean you think you’re fat!?! Don’t be ridiculous!”
That’s how my boyfriend reacted when I told him that I think I’m getting fat.
I’m a healthy woman, or so I thought until none of my clothes fit properly. Even my tank tops that I’ve had since college started becoming too tight!
I got on the scale and it read: you’re overweight again!
When I went shopping for new clothes, I found out that I’m only a couple of sizes away from when I was at my unhealthiest.
With those things in mind, I looked into the full-length mirror while naked and checked myself out. ‘F*** I’m fat — how did that happen!?!’
It didn’t, but here’s what did happen…
Our society equates skinny with healthy and I bought into that. I didn’t mean to, but I’ve been a size 4 for the last 5 years, and suddenly (during the pandemic) I’ve gained 2–3 dress sizes!
I moved into a new place and I haven’t seen myself naked in a full length mirror in months.
I eat well. I eat a lot but it’s mostly healthy. The 80/20 rule (eating healthy 80% of the time and eating whatever you want… ice cream, donuts, pizza, beer 20% of the time) is a rule I don’t really have to follow because it’s a habit now. But did I go off course because of the pandemic? Maybe a little.
With fresh eyes, here’s what questions I asked myself to reevaluate if I’m truly fat or if it’s just in my head (and maybe this can help you too):
1. Do you have good eating habits? Have your good eating habits tanked recently?
Okay, I admit that my good eating habits slipped into the 70/30 zone.
During lockdown, maybe my boyfriend experimented with trying to perfect his chocolate almond cake and maybe I was a judge that took my role seriously. Maybe gaufre liegeoise (Belgium waffles with chunks of imbedded vanilla sugar) became a routine breakfast treat. And maybe chocolate mousse made it…
