I've heard the whispers my entire life. As I walked down hallways in middle and high school, I always heard the hushed comments about my weight. I get it—I'm fat. This isn't news to me. I've been...

I spent a good part of my life trying to shrink myself, trying to become smaller, less opinionated, less sensitive, less loud, less me. Perhaps a part of me thought that I would be a burden to others if...