Why growing up a "bigger girl" has made me the woman I am today

Growing up a "bigger girl," has taught me a lot about life.
It showed me what it was like to hate myself, love myself and every emotion in between.
I never really thought anything was wrong with my size until I began getting made fun of in middle school for my size. But in middle school, I became "popular" and hung out with a bunch of beautiful, thin friends who are still my best friends until this day. I think I am beautiful and there are other people that would agree with me.
But growing up overweight taught me to truly love unconditionally, this is because I never wanted to be loved by conditions.
I then in my junior year of highschool lost 40 lbs and was very thin. But by losing the weight I was not necessarily more attractive because I was thinner, I was more attractive because I was still me, just more confident. I was, and am, an uplifting, hardworking person. I love to encourage others, and by losing weight many people looked to me as a role model, which was empowering. I had not only healthy eating patterns but healthier life patterns. I was kind, and loving and caring to everyone regardless of their size because I knew what it had felt like to be overweight and be made fun of due to that.
Growing up overweight has made me a more open, loving person.

Society and Health

Society. The ruling, dictating body composed of social media, businesses and consumers. Businesses that prey on the innocent, who are consumed by these standards. So many things are covered by the act of "healthiness" and "strength," but it consumes young men and women's lives.
Since a young age I have always struggled with my weight, and even when I was at a healthy weight, the media and others always told me I needed to be thinner, my own mind told me I needed to be thinner to be accepted, to be valued, to have any worth at all.
I have walked around this past year of my life feeling unworthy in my own skin, and unable to make a change, make friends or allow myself to be taken seriously by anyone due to the fact that I gained weight back. I had a voice in my head, and media shoving down my throat, that I are only successful if I have that "before and after picture," because those hours spent on the treadmill were more a measure of my success than any problem I have ever overcome in my life. And people continue to perpetuate this due to the fact that they are striving for the same exact thing, they have the exact same mentality.
The point of this post is to encourage others to defy the stereotype. Yes, working out and eating healthy are amazing for us and help us be happier, more competent indiviuals because we are choosing to treat our bodies and minds right by fueling ourselves with good nutrtion- which helps improve brain function. But the obsessive amount of weight lifting and constantly thinking about what we can or can not eat at lunch, or if that donut is going to make us gain 50 lbs, is unhealthy. I am studying nutrition and have learned to love working out, but I am going to make a choice to not let it consume my life. Not let it consume my mind all hours of the day.