I've decided to go with my Carlos Santana shoes rather than the boring white satin. The shoes are absolutely outrageous (to me anyway!), and although they don't match my gown as well as the other pair, I think they are an excellent symbol of my relationship with R. I am Miss Conservative, and left to my own devices in life, everything would be plain vanilla. R loves color. When we painted our house, every room got a bold splash of color on at least one wall. I wouldn't have done it on my own, but I love it! Why not wear shoes on our wedding day that are a testament to his influence in my life? It seems appropriate to me.
Now then... why in the world am I using this forum to praise fat? Have I lost my marbles? Yes and no! I should preface this entire train of thought by saying that it looks like I'm going to be a chubby (ok, fat) bride. Working nights has been tough on me physically, and I haven't gotten into a healthy routine to counter the stress of it all. If I was more motivated, I could probably accomplish a lot in three months, but I'm not that motivated. It's not that I'm happy in my present state-- it isn't healthy. But I don't feel like killing myself for the sake of appearances. Yes, it's a little bit disappointing to think that the one opportunity I have to be a star for the day, to be immortalized on film for future generations, to be beautiful-- I'll be overweight, but in the whole scheme of things, it's not the end of the world! I spent most of my life above average in health- I outran my classmates in PE classes, arm-wrestled a tween exchange student in jr. high and beat him (much to his embarrassment), and earned the Presidential Fitness Award several years in a row. I felt like I was a born athlete. I've been on a steady decline since then, fueled by laziness and the advent of computer technology (for an information addict like me, the internet is the greatest thing since sliced bread, to use a tired but descriptive cliche!). My point- I had my glory days. They were over quickly, but I had them! I also had years of being relatively fit- not an athlete by any stretch, but I was healthy and looked pretty good. No tummy, no hips... I was proud of my appearance. It felt good to have something that a lot of women don't have. The state of being fit and/or thin is an illusive one for the average woman, while fat is just so commonplace!
But here it is: Fatness isn't all bad. Firstly, fat insulates. How nice that my personal fat season is taking place during the winter! It can be sooo cold sometimes, and who wants to be cold? Not me. Secondly, fat hides wrinkles! I'm getting older, so who knows what the state of affairs would be without a little bit of fat to smooth it all out? People pay good money for fat injections, and I have my own supply. Thirdly, my cushiony tummy makes my dogs exceedingly happy. Given the choice between my lap or R's, mine wins out every time. And lets face it, few things are as great as having a fluffy pet curled up on your lap! Fat also protects. That's great when you're a klutz like I am. I run into things on occassion, but the padding means I end up with a nasty bruise (or nothing at all) rather than something worse like a broken bone. Finally, being a little on the chubbier side means that shallow, irritating men don't hit on me. Some women would find that disappointing, but I prefer not to get unwanted attention! Here's what Wikipedia has to say about fat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat):
Importance for living organisms
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning they can only be digested, absorbed, and transported in conjunction with fats. Fats are also sources of essential fatty acids, an important dietary requirement.
Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function.
Fats also serve as energy stores for the body, containing about 37.8 kilojoules (9 calories) per gram of fat[3]. They are broken down in the body to release glycerol and free fatty acids. The glycerol can be converted to glucose by the liver and thus used as a source of energy.
Fat also serves as a useful buffer towards a host of diseases. When a particular substance, whether chemical or biotic—reaches unsafe levels in the bloodstream, the body can effectively dilute—or at least maintain equilibrium of—the offending substances by storing it in new fat tissue. This helps to protect vital organs, until such time as the offending substances can be metabolized and/or removed from the body by such means as excretion, urination, accidental or intentional bloodletting, sebum excretion, and hair growth.
While it is nearly impossible to remove fat completely from the diet, it would be unhealthy to do so. Some fatty acids are essential nutrients, meaning that they can't be produced in the body from other compounds and need to be consumed in small amounts. All other fats required by the body are non-essential and can be produced in the body from other compounds.
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