They warn you before you go off to college that you will gain that "freshman 15." It's so easy to ignore them and say, "Oh, that will never happen to me!" But guess what? It will. It might not happen your first semester, but believe me when I say it will definitely hit you.
It's your first semester at college, and life is going great. You have amazing friends, a great college schedule and the money to do whatever you desire to do. As your semester starts to become a little more stressful and more time consuming, you start to get out of your daily routine of working out. Now, you might not have gone to the gym to work out, but when you walk all over campus with your friends, you're walking at least a few miles a day.
Four months later, the semester finally comes to an end. You are so relieved that you don't have to worry about getting your homework assignments in on time or cramming for a last minute exam that you forgot about. This is the best feeling in the world for all college students! But you're starting to notice that you can't fit into some of the same clothes you once wore four months ago. It's not a big deal, but then you start to reminisce over some photos that were taken four months ago before you gained weight.
As another semester begins, your friends come back and you all reunite at last. You become paranoid that everyone will judge you because you've gained so much weight since the last time they saw you, but no one said anything about your weight gain; in fact, they are treating you the exact same. Everyone seems to be having a fun time, except for you. You're more concerned about covering your arms and stomach so no one will notice your stomach rolls.
So, to the girl who thinks she's fat, let me say this: You are beautiful. It doesn't matter what the size of your clothing is or if someone is smaller than you. Your personality shines brighter than the rest. So what if you used to wear an adult medium and now you're shopping for an adult large? You should feel comfortable in your clothes, so if that means going up a size to feel comfortable, then do it!
Don't let some weight gain control your life and make you depressed. Just because your body has physically changed doesn't mean your personality has. You are beautiful from the inside out. Your friends support you and love you, and they don't care about your weight gain. Be proud of who you are and don't let that stop you from going out in the world and doing things. You aren't alone and you never will be. Everyone goes through these issues, whether it's from stress eating or other medical reasons. It happens to everyone, so we all understand what you're going through.
So, to the girl who thinks she's fat, let me leave you with these final words: Be bold, be brave and be beautiful, because you are.
