“Fat girl”, is what my she called me as I walked to my car one beautiful sunshiny day in July minding my own business.

In my 46 years of life no one has ever called me that before. I was in the best shape of my life after having given birth to four children up until about a month ago. My weight has fluctuated over the years. I am currently 147 pounds and 5’5” tall.

I’ve been a gym enthusiast since my late teens.

I used to be able to eat a whole pepperoni pizza, drink a half gallon of milk, sleep great, drink Jack Daniels wine coolers, exercise six days a week at Golds Gym, and stock shelves at a grocery store from 5am to 2pm five days a week. Then, on Sundays be on Ft Lauderdale beach confidently in-line skating in a thong, when I was nineteen.

Bread does not fall off of your body like it used to after you eat it at my age nor does the alcohol sweat out as it once did in my teenage years. The bread and alcohol gets absorbed in your body at my age.

Damn metabolism!

Trading your unhealthy addictions for heathy addictions is not easy. If it was everyone would be doing it. Addiction is real. If you don’t control your addictions they will control you.

I’ve been indulging in bread and started drinking alcohol again, all while continuing my daily workout routine and averaging 15,000 steps a day seven days a week for the last two years.

Indulging in rye bread and alcohol caught up to me.

The person who called me “Fat girl!” made me think.

I’d been telling myself recently, “I could be exercising more and eating less bread and stop consuming alcohol like I have been”. Then out of no where “Fat girl!”, or was it?

We all go through seasons of change in our lives.

Our responsibility is to discipline ourselves in a healthy way, despite the temptations of the world.

I believe the universe was giving me a sign to pay attention to the food I am consuming. Eating what your mind is telling you it wants and giving your body what it needs to succeed, is completely different.

When life happens we either choose to adjust or continue to spiral.

I used to blame my mother for my food addictions. The older wiser me knows, my addictions are my own.

Managing unhealthy addictions isn’t easy. It takes daily practice and patience. If managing unhealthy addictions were easy everyone would be doing it.

Cheers, (with a protein drink in my hand) to all the addicts out there doing their best to control your unhealthy addictions and making them healthy addictions so you can look back on your life and be proud. Because in the end, that is all that really matters.

In my life experience, I have always turned any of my “haters” into motivators.

Thank you to the older woman that called me “fat girl!”, you motivated me to continue to be the best version of myself.