You’re very welcome!

Thanks Pauline!

Hi Amy!

I loved reading your comment. Not because I enjoy reading of other’s struggles with their self image (clearly, it’s a pain point for me) but because it’s just so nice to make a genuine connection with someone through writing — you felt moved by what I wrote, and now I feel moved by what you wrote in response! The internet can be so cool like that.

This comment reminded me that positive self-talk is one of the most important things I can do for my mental AND physical health. I’m going to work more on that again! Thank you for that little reminder. Travel and adventure and smiling DOES make us beautiful, at any weight.

xoxo

I found your blog when I was looking into renting a JUCY, (still deciding between JUCY and Escape Campervan for my upcoming Utah/Grand Canyon trip), and I was hooked on your writing and your photos, but I was especially drawn to pictures of you.

I saw someone so happy and free and genuine, and that was beautiful! I looked closer, and I was shocked to see you that you look like me! I stared even harder–“Look at that shining woman who looks like me, except that I do not shine in photos–I cringe in pre-horror that my thighs will look thunderous or that my REI zip pants/shorts combo that are too big in the waist, just right on the hips, and way too long in the leg cut me right across the tummy and give me a muffin top.” I don’t shine in my photos, and I’ve decided I should shine. Because damn. Look at my life!

It’s not just about making better choices about what I eat. I’m almost 50, and my post-divorce unintentional diet left me 20 lbs lighter. I gained back prob 10 of them in the thirteen years since, and the way I treat myself for netting a 10 lb loss, you’d think I had kicked a puppy or something!) It’s about making better choices about how I treat myself and see myself. It truly is wonderful to see yourself the way your friends and family see you.

I don’t think I’ll be rail thin again. I won’t lie that I did like the way I looked then, and I have kept some of the pants I wore then for some kind of nostalgia. But I also want the freedom of not letting how I *think* I look overshadow how I am actually feeling. When I am traveling I feel amazing! I have amazing photos of myself in Acadia National Park standing proudly atop mountains I climbed above the shimmering sea, and I the first thing I look at it are my dang thighs.

I was shocked when I found the blog in which you discussed weight gain. I would have never in a million years, based on your smile, spark, and playful energy that you ever thought about weight at all! I think you’re the first person in media for whom it appears that weight/body is a non-issue. Your life and how you live it makes you gorgeous and strong. And that was the turning point for me. That was what I needed to say to drop this baggage–literal and actual!

I just had to tell you this! I am enjoying your blog now! I read every morning before work!

P.S. If you’ve ever want to go to the Indy 500, you can stay with me.

I have a lot of experience with this, Terry! I just spent a month traveling in Brazil with someone who is naturally blessed with the gift of being able to eat carbs without blowing up like a blimp — I’m not. They also happened to be pretty gym-averse. I found it challenging to carve out time for working out when the other person I was with wasn’t interested, and found it hard to avoid temptation when the other person I was with was indulging. It’s not easy and I struggled greatly during the trip.

But my advice and what I will do moving forward is set really clear expectations with myself and the other person: be honest and say, “I can’t always eat the things you eat and so I might occasionally fend for myself,” or “Just so you know, I am going to go for a run every evening before we head out and I hope that you can join me or understand that this is something I need to do in order to enjoy myself.” Best of luck! I understand the struggle!

Most of these trips don’t last for more than a few days; but regardless I can feel the effects almost immediately (and I don’t need a mirror), and feeling “fat” (or fat-for-me as you put it) with no sense of control over my weight makes me grumpy and spoils any enjoyment I might otherwise have in the adventure. I want to be able to enjoy the experience, the unexpected, and come home with memories and pictures; but if I feel disgusting in my own skin two days out this is nearly impossible. I know how I should eat and can make wise choices if there are acceptable options; but salad, salad and more salad gets old very quickly; and people don’t understand if I choose not to eat supper past 6:30. Taking my own food is sometimes an option, but it’s still a bit conspicuous and sometimes not feasible. Do you (or anyone else) have any experience with this problem?

It’s hard to say no when food is tied to new experiences and special travels. I think getting back into your workout routine in a great start! Good luck Katie!

Ha! And it’s four or five times the price, too… A great weight loss plan!