This wasn't my first awakening to liking my own fat, but it's certainly an experience that stands out.
I grew up in a fairly fit household with clean eating habits, but I was ALWAYS overweight. Even when my mother was successful at limiting my intake, I still stayed chubby and had a big belly. During the summer break between third and fourth grade, I found ways to sneak snacks from the kitchen and keep a stash. I also became more social, and I had access to junk food at a friend's house. By the time school started, I had put on so much weight I could no longer fit in a regular, one-piece classroom desk. My permanent seat was the crafts table, and my teacher put another (thin) student there with me so I wasn't excluded.
During the first week of school, I got constant comments from other kids about my weight and big pot belly Instead of feeling hurt, I reveled in the comments. After that, it was never meanspirited. (It's hard to tease someone about something they're proud of.) Being fat became an accepted part of my Identity, and I was happy with it. I would even brag about how much I could eat, and at lunch, classmates would give me any food they didn't want.
On one particular day, several students had given me items they didn't want. One girl said, "Let's see how fat she gets RIGHT NOW!" This caught the teacher's attention. She scolded the other students and made a rule on the spot that no one could give away food, citing allergies as as a reason. I was so disappointed, because that effectively put a stop to my extra lunch supply. Still, twenty years later, I haven't forgotten it.
1 year
