You Don’t Have to Do It, You Get to Do It

Change one word and change your whole attitude

Zita Fontaine
7 min readJun 21, 2021

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Photo by Julian Santa Ana on Unsplash

In the past eighteen months, I made radical changes in my life — the biggest and most visible one was to lose 70+ lbs, and as a result, becoming a different person. Losing weight and getting fitter is a controversial topic because it is considered to be by some as an expression of fatphobia, a clear sign of lack of self-esteem — instead of a true, life-changing accomplishment.

It’s true, losing weight can lead to unhealthy body image issues, and it’s also true that some people find it easier to blame others for their inability or unwillingness.

Admitting that I am a different person might also raise some controversial arguments — and I am getting ready to deal with that. But when I say I am a different person, I don’t really mean that I am skinnier — obviously, that’s a given — but more importantly, I am thinking very differently about my obligations, daily tasks and life in general.

I have to admit that I used to have a lot of body image issues, self-esteem problems, even an eating disorder — related to my fluctuating weight. I used to be a lazy, chubby kid and a struggling adult who couldn’t imagine that being fit would ever be for her. I tried every diet and fitness plan, every method, every promise from fitness…

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Zita Fontaine

Writer. Dreamer. Hopeless romantic. Newsletter: zita.substack.com Email me: zitafontaine (at) gmail