Delayed package delivery, Lysol out of stock, climate change – it’s the pandemic! And since we are on a roll, I am also blaming my weight gain on COVID-19.

Before all this craziness hit in March, I knew I had some bad eating habits and needed to drop some pounds, but there is nothing like a quarantine to reveal how you live.

In May, I decided to try a “Nutritional Plan” endorsed by a local doctor. It’s the “making healthy choices, be active” philosophy. Truth be told, I didn’t care much about the healthy part, I just wanted to lose weight. I think I speak for many women in saying that we would do just about anything to accomplish that goal. Let’s face it, so much of our esteem is tied up in how we are perceived by others, and “thin” is always in.

In any case, I started the plan that would make Richard Simmons cry. Actually, that isn’t too hard, but my point is that the diet was not easy. Three ounces of good protein, two servings of veggies, and one serving of fruit for every meal. Oh, and not the good veggies, either! No, it’s the veggies that we usually smother in cheese to cover up the taste. Let’s not forget, the only beverage you can have is … water. Yep, nothing else. No wine, no soda, no tea, no life. The thought process behind this is not just a good ol’ colon cleaning but to change your eating habits. I don’t know how rabbits do it.

Now, you may not know this if you are male, but our lovely female bodies are pretty complicated. On average, women have between 6-11% more body fat than men – an assumed evolutionary adaptation to help during pregnancy. From puberty to menopause, women maintain more average body fat than men, even when they take in fewer calories. Who was at the bargaining table when we struck that deal? Let’s see: more body fat, crazy hormones, carrying the kiddos, going through hot flashes, and, oh yeah, menopause. Sounds like we covered it!

A CNN article from a few years ago stated, “Ladies, don’t despair: Women have weight-related advantages, too. They tend to carry more body fat on their thighs and backsides (the so-called ‘pear’ shape), which are much healthier places to hold weight than around the middle.” Oh, well, I feel much better now that my lovely pear shape is a weight-related advantage. Listen up, CNN fruit ninja, I would rather be a Chiquita banana than a stinking pear any day.

Now, before you go judging me, grab a low-fat, gluten-free, choco-like cookie and hear me out. For 17 years, I was anorexic and bulimic. In this crazy world, you rarely have control of things in your life. And when life was crazy, I felt like this was the only thing I “had control over.” I decided what and when. It’s hard to explain, but that’s how I felt. Otherwise, I really was practically perfect. I was good at hiding it, too. So good that my husband and daughter never knew. So when I finally decided to tell my family, they almost tossed their cookies. Stopping the “practice” was then, and still is, a conscious decision. I know it’s unhealthy, and I know my body is a temple. However, when the world tells you that “fat is not where it’s at,” you will sacrifice even your health to feel “accepted.”

So, is there a point? You bet your flabby abs there is! I know it sounds cliché and maybe even corny. But the truth is, who cares what the “world” thinks? I mean, not only are the world’s standards irrational and impossible, they are constantly changing. I learned that I need to be comfortable with myself. I understand that so much of the physical relates to my spiritual and emotional health. So where am I today? I have lost 17 pounds, I am eating healthier, I wake up refreshed, and my joints have stopped hurting. Not a bad trade-off for switching from Captain Crunch to eggs and fruit for breakfast.

My friends, we are blessed to live in Lake Nona, an area riddled with walking trails, biking clubs, yoga classes, and, heck, even a wellness institute! Get out, eat better, and see what a positive change can do for you. I can guarantee one thing – you will only fail if you don’t try.