Melissa’s Photo is in the Project Reveal Embrace Your Body Gallery!

This weekend was the annual Project Reveal Embrace Your Body Gala, and it was my first time getting to experience Embrace Your Body in person, and I was stunned at how inspiring everyone's story was.  Also got a little surprise, my photo was on the community wall.

"Embrace Your Body" that's something that Project Reveal preaches, and works hard to teach, and empower women.   When told they would have a wall dedicated to community submissions our DME at work told me she thought I should enter.  So she took me out, took some photos and submitted me, and when I showed up Saturday night, I didn't realize I was going to also have a photo on the wall!

My journey of embracing myself isn't one that's uncommon. Many people have been through what I've been through on the journey to loving myself.  I found myself at the heaviest weight I've ever been almost 2 years ago, I was depressed, nothing fit, I didn't want to leave my apartment because going out meant putting on clothes, and my clothes didn't fit, and I felt terrible.

I decided to do something about it, and completely changed my lifestyle. I'm down 50lbs from where I started, I still have more to go, but throughout the weightloss journey I've learned to love myself.  But to me loving myself and "embracing" my body was an act, not a state of mind.  To me embracing myself, is taking care of myself.  Eating healthy makes me feel good, so I eat healthy (like most of the time haha sometimes you have to have bad food, and that's okay!) working out makes me feel good, it makes me feel strong, and so I workout because I like feeling that way.

Losing weight isn't just a before and after photo, there's an entire lifelong journey that follows those photos. I'm a work in progress, and that's okay!  Since the wedding I've had so much going on, and I've found about 10lbs, and instead of letting that get me down and beat me down, I'm working on getting back to loving myself.  Loving myself enough to not let that extra weight discount how far I've come.  Loving myself enough to keep going.

You can see the entire Embrace Your Body gallery at the Arts Council all this week, and I highly suggest you check it out.  Everyone's story is different, and unique. All these women are so strong, and have such a powerful message, and I'm so proud to have my own little place up on the wall with them!

Oh and hey, you may even find my photo!