Girlish figure

I am not thinner than I was 20 years ago.

I'm still not skinny. I wasn't skinny then. Actually, I'm not interested in being skinny. Skinny would look weird on me. I'd look sickly. Awkward.

One thing I am is curvaceous. Some call it voluptuous. An hourglass figure.

That figure runs in the family. All the women have it. Very few of us flaunt it.

My journey towards health has inadvertently included weight loss. I'm honestly not trying. I eat ice cream, chocolate, fries and chips. I just don't crave them very often...except for the chocolate. I eat a lot of vegetables, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs and some cheese. Rice is a staple in my house, as are potatoes. I even sneak in the odd salad here and there.

I remember jumping from 117-125lbs as a freshman in high school. It was not a welcome jump, but I didn't freak out. My best friend and I tried doing more sit-ups and running to lose the weight we'd both gained. I never lost, but continued to gain. She got muscular and continued to do athletics. I hung out at the games and participated in soccer and basketball city league teams with her later.

It would be strange to strive to be the weight I was at age 14. I don't want any of the other things I had then, the insecurity, the hot pink wool shorts and yellow tights, for example.

What I want now is to be healthy, to feel confident in my appearance, to fit into my clothes, and to have an active social life. I am well on my way and look forward to what lies ahead.