Posted on by jinj88

What if..

I was raised to feel lots of confusion over body image and weight. On one hand, I grew up thinking that if I gained weight or didn’t look just right, I would 1. Never get a boyfriend/husband or 2. My boyfriend/husband would leave me because I was no longer attractive. My parents divorced when I was in high school and once I heard that my father had said my mother was no longer attractive to him because she was over weight. My mother struggled with her body image as far back as I can remember – always dieting or trying a new exercise class, but she hated how much she weighed and even how tall she was. As a 5’11” woman in a world where she thought men wanted “cute and petite” girls, it was hard for her to feel pretty or sexy at all, but then when she started gaining weight after children, it was a downward spiral. My father, on the other hand, has been smallish from the start. He was is also 5’11” and has always been very active with playing tennis, running almost everyday, biking, swimming, whatever he can do to stay fit. It was his passion, obsession, even. He was very proud of his body.

He called me fat!

So, on one side of the coin, I was sincerely sympathetic to my mother’s cause. I hated that she hated herself. I was always very careful to never mention or hint at anything around her that might hurt her feelings more than they have already been hurt. I was quite sensitized to the feelings, frustrations, and fragility of being overweight and trying to conquer it. For my dad, the answer was easy – just go out and exercise more. Everyone sees the world from a different perspective and has different things that drive them in everyday situations. For some people, like my dad, losing weight is easy, you just do it. When he was diagnosed with a health condition where his body does not process “good” fats properly and essentially all fats for him are bad, he just cut out fat. Done. The poor man now struggles with eating enough calories in sugar and protein to maintain his 4500 calorie/day (with his exercise habits) needs and he has to do that with FAT-FREE oreos and cheetos! He immediately dropped weight when he made this change and lost his “dad bod” belly.

On the other side of the coin, I’ve seen what media (movies/tv shows, etc) and my own family experiences tell me about men and how they perceive women: you need to be thin AND shapely AND endearing or you will not be desirable and will be left or, more likely, cheated on. I went through a really rough time when I was dating Tony where I lost all faith and trust in men and just knew that I was eventually GOING to be cheated on and hurt severely. That was, of course, centered around the divorce that my parents were going through and I eventually got over it, well, learned to deal with it better, but for awhile, I was pretty sure men were the worst. Yet, somehow, while blaming men for making me feel this way, I still felt this way and was still driven to stay cute and little and always be as engaging as possible. I exercised, I got depressed when I gained weight, I didn’t complain about it to anyone except Tony because I was not overweight and would be scoffed at, but I just knew that it was a slippery slope to Tony not loving me.

My largest, pregnant with India

When I was in vet school, I gained about 20 lb and for the life of me, could not get it off. I lived on rice and beans, ran 3-10 miles or biked 30 miles a day, had air-popped popcorn and watermelon for dinner and could not drop a pound. At first I was convinced that it was all just muscle, but eventually, while pregnant with India and I reached 170 lb and the doctor said something to me about my weight, I knew it wasn’t just normal weight gain. I was crushed. I had tried for years to lose that 20 lbs and only seemed to be gaining (even before the pregnancy).

Eventually, I would be blessed with a revamped metabolism after breastfeeding coupled with a painful abdominal condition that doesn’t allow me to eat more than very small portions of food before feeling very uncomfortable to painful. Then, I was finally able to drop the weight and get back to a comfortable size for me. Yes, I’ve been to all the doctors, have had imaging done, had my gallbladder removed, and have been on every medicinal combination including natural remedies, and no, nothing helps. So, for the most part, my own body regulates my weight, but I do love to exercise or at least I love to be active and I love the feeling of being sore and tired.

Nothing makes a girl feel pretty like this amazing gift from one of the film crew teams – pregnant with Calvin

What if we showed each other love and appreciation even if we all weren’t the magazine body type? What if when you saw someone who was out for a jog but was jogging slower than you could walk and instead laughing, we said “good job! You’re amazing!”? Yes, I can agree that being overweight can be unhealthy, but not all overweight people are unhealthy, and when was the last time telling someone they’re overweight helped? Let the medical professionals worry about their physical health. We should all worry about each other’s mental health. What if we just supported them and showed them the love every human deserves? If most people react to things like my husband, then telling them how you think they should change will only make them do the exact opposite (super fun in a marriage). Looking around, I’ve noticed that seemingly everyone has body image issues. So, it totally sucks that media makes women think that men only want a certain type of woman, but if you really ask honest men, you’ll find that different men like different types of women. Some men do NOT find thin, lanky women attractive, some love the softness of larger women. Same for women – no, we don’t all want to be able to complete a muscular anatomy exam on your body, some do, but we all have different things that make us tick. So, to single out one body type and make everyone else feel bad about themselves for things they cannot change – no, I will never have curvaceous hips (“birthing hips” – my mother in law warned me with my first pregnancy I would have trouble having babies – still pushed an 8.5lb baby out in less than an hour) with my body type. If I started gaining weight (even with doing 1000s of squats) I would simply take on the appearance of a candied apple.

My mom with some of her grandbabies

Once my mom got away from all of that pressure and all of that loathing of her body, she found herself. She found activities that she loves. She walks or hikes almost everyday in the Rocky mountains and feels great about herself. I was thinking about this one time while I was running. I haven’t been able to just run 3-4 miles since I had Oscar. I found that my body and my mind do better when I run a “warm up” mile, then sprint/walk/jog the rest of the way as feels best for my body – when I can no longer breathe, I walk; when I catch my breathe, I run again. But it’s not a normal way to run. Sometimes I will skip or walk with lunges, or walk backwards or sideways, or dance or strut to the song in my earbuds, but I always have to make sure no one is looking. Why? God forbid someone sees me doing something that’s not seen as “normal” exercise. But, what if we were all in support of any activity, no matter how weird it looks to us? People wouldn’t be afraid to go out and find something they love that could also be considered exercise. Want to bear crawl across your lawn? Great! Good for the shoulders. Like to belly dance to Led Zepplin? Power to you!

I will never be able to shake the idea I got when I was 15 years old, studying the Victoria’s Secret catalogs, that this was how I was supposed to look. I didn’t yet know how I would go about adding 2-3 lumbar vertebra to my spine or develop D cup breasts and grow a second length of femur, or, most importantly, develop those perfect faces (though Tony says most of them look mad), but I knew that’s what I had to look like or I would never be loved. Yet, here I am; 35 years old, three kids later, scars up and down my belly, an umbilical hernia from the pregnancies, abdominal muscles that will never line up again, boobs that sag with age and three episodes of demanding nursing babies pulling on them while they summersault, a face that is tired, worn and pretty much needs make-up to be seen in public, but Tony doesn’t see all that. And none of that affects the way I see other people. You are beautiful.

North Mannitou Island

78 Replies to “What if..”

    1. ❤️ right on. Thinking a bear crawl across the front lawn might be just the thing after breakfast. Keep on writing!

  3. Well I understand your pain and your mothers but I think you might over simplify men’s attitude towards women.
    Not all men perceive women’s weigh gain as bad. My wife was 110 pounds for 30 years with me. Well after that she gained some 30 pounds. I just consider it more wife to love now after 34 years. And looking is not a crime. Ask any women.

    1. I hope you read this because that is one of the points she made. Many men don’t care if their wife gains a bit.

  7. AGREE!!

    I talk with my daughter about how she is beautiful just the way she is! Doesn’t seem to matter what I say, she still worries about her looks…but I hope she hears me!!

  8. Emily 👊👍👌 I am a plus size middle aged woman. It took me FOREVER…but I am comfortable in my skin. I always compliment other women of all shapes and sizes. We have to lift each other up!

  10. Your mom is glowing and looks so healthy and happy! So great that she shook off those negative ‘body type’ images that were cast upon her.
    That’s unfortunate that this image was passed along to you. My goodness, you are lovely and slender, tho my favourite images of you are on Doc Pol, sashaying around pregnant in your overalls in the barns, tending to all situations, calmly and competently, your belly no hindrance, just part of the package.
    Tony is handsome (and obviously funny!) But he is lucky he landed you! 💫

  11. Dr Emily your blog is awesome and so are you. I bet Tony knows how lucky he is to have you in his life. Thanks for sharing your life with us.

  12. What if there were more people who were as kind and as insightful as you are?The world would be in a better place, no ifs ands or buts.

  13. Can you please explain more about your painful abdominal condition? What is it called (diagnosis) and how do you control it. It sounds similar to my daughters mystery abdominal pain that she is searching answers for. She has had all of the testing ect and just cannot find relief. Is it irritable bowel syndrome or something similar? Thanks!

    1. I’ve had IBS most of my life. After I was diagnosed with RA and other autoimmune disorders mine got worse. I started having bouts of diarrhea that lasted up to three months. No one could tell me why. I finally was sent to a specialist that biopsied my colon and found I had lymphocytic colitis and gastritis. Medication has put it in check. Hope your daughter finds some relief.

  14. My mother grew up during the Depression. Her father would pick fights at the dinner table so she would get upset and leave. That meant more food for the rest. She would get so upset she would vomit and lost weight. In high school, her looks got a lot of attention so she kept it up. Full blown bulimia for the next 60 years. We all lied to protect her because it was like living with an alcoholic. I’m the oldest daughter and I coped by eating like she did without resorting to her weight loss solutions. She was finally hospitalized at 68 lbs, 5 foot tall. She now eats all the time because, in her dementia, she’s forgotten her “delicate” stomach. I’m 65, weigh close to 300, and just now figuring all this out. I’ll get there.

  15. Well, Dear Emily, I’ll tell you what I think. Your Mom is gorgeous! I love that picture of her on the beach with her Grands. I bet she would love that framed for a Mother’s Day (or even Valentine’s Day, if there’s time) present. You are no bigger than a minute and never have been. I love these blogs. Especially this one. because I have fought weight all my life.

  16. I really enjoyed reading this tonight Dr. Emily. After I had radioactive iodine due to Graves’ disease, I gained 96 pounds. As a dancer and softball player, it was very difficult to deal with. When people would look at me differently, or say something negative, I would respond “do you really think I decided to have that many more cheeseburgers this year?“ Having two babies 20 months apart didn’t help in that area either. Then my husband cheated on me. To say the least, weight has significantly impacted my entire life and has caused significant depression It is the one thing in my life I wish I could change. I feel your mom’s pain. Deeply.

    Loved you on Dr.Pol btw. Besides being a great vet, what inspired me the most from you is that you never complained. You’re so strong for your size and you just did what had to get done without bitching about it.

    Enjoy the family, carpe diem!

  17. I was once told … who cares if you don’t look like a model . If we lived in the Pioneer days men would have been after you like floyd on $hit … your Pioneer stock . Built to work all day and then make beautiful healthy babies like a brood mare. Ahhhhh …. Thanks I guess.

    I am tall, big boned and will never be a pencil thin model, even if I starved myself to skin and bones. Like you, I learned to embrace who I was (only took 50 years) and find a good man who loved me for me …. pioneer brood mare stock and all 😉

  20. I just love reading everything you and Tony write, and can’t wait to go back and read them again! Thank you for sharing your down-to-earth wisdom. Wish that we all really could accept all body types and be comfortable in our own skin. Most of us need these reminders now and then. 🙂

  23. You are beautiful. I wish we could meet and hopefully be friends.
    Being an older version growing up with the same ideas but, being told I was a sailor’s dream, a sunken chest and a carpenter’s dream a flat plank. I was a late bloomer as my Mother ❤️ called me. But now I am me… I don’t dress up, Horses don’t care as long as you are feeding and taking care of them. Got divorced from a man that beat me to make him feel better.
    I was going to college wanting to be a veterinarian but could not finish.
    Now I take care of my Wonderful Mother ❤️ who I thank The Lord for everyday we wake up. She’s a young 49 (really 94) The sweetest Lady❤️ you will ever meet. And she absolutely loves you and your family. I do my best to keep her ❤️ up-to-date on you and your family but she doesn’t see well and she misses you on Dr Pol.
    I know from Tony’s blog about the stress of being under a microscope plus fighting for space being on the show, but I still wish the Lord would have let it worked out.
    I have rambled on enough and apologize.
    Thank you for being you 😊 just wish you were closer to Dunlap, Sequatchie County TN. We could sure use you down here. 😊🙏🏼🤞😊❤️
    God Bless you and your family 🙏😊❤️🙏

  25. Oh, thank you for your honesty. My parents, naturally thin people, never understood their larger boned daughter’s propensity to gain weight. Some people, especially men, have an easier time losing or maintaining their weight. I hope you’ve been able to open some minds and hearts.

  27. I loved this honest, revealing post. Maybe it was just that the timing was perfect. Maybe because it feels better to know others have the same thoughts that I do. I only know you from TV, but have always admired your strength, how you can look amazing with wet hair that you didn’t have to spend an hour doing, and look practically perfect with your natural face. You do you, its beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

  28. I know exactly what you are saying. Our bodies will never be good enough in our own minds. Your mother is stunning! Hard to believe she would ever think she was anything but beautiful! You too btw! The older we get, the harder it is to lose weight….especially since women post-menopause actually start storing fat for some scientific reason that escapes me. There are a lot of things I plan to ask God about should I ever get to heaven someday. For now, we live with what we got. 😊

  30. Girl, you said a mouthful…👍👍👍. And you are beautiful…inside and out!!! I’ve got all those beauty marks and a bunch more for my 65 years!

  31. You pretty much spoke for most all women. Just remember this from a older lady married 45 + years.. True Beauty comes from within. You could have the perfect body, hair, clothes & all the money in the world but if your heart is ugly you are nothing. You are beautiful & have a heart of gold.. Your blog is wonderful!

  32. You always look so beautiful when you’re pregnant! I know if you’re like the rest of us you probably don’t feel beautiful but you have an amazing glow!
    It’s a age old issue that causes most women to have a love/hate relationship with our bodies because of what we’re told. Maybe one of these days things will be different. I’m not going to hold my breath though.
    Thank you for showing us your vulnerability!! I love your blogs! 💕

  33. Emily, I totally relate to everything you said. I feel so bad for all the girls/women out there struggling with body image issues. I was wondering if some of what you have been going through could be related to post-partum depression. We women have to really lean on each other and our life partners, and what you are so bravely sharing here is going to help so many people ❤️ I adore you and applaud you for opening up so honestly. You are such a beautiful soul, and by the way, I always thought you were beautiful on the outside too. 😊

  34. it would be a great world if we could just be kind to each other and not so critical about everything, especially weight, we are who we are

  35. Great article and So true. My mom and dad seem like they could have been yours. As woman we usually gain weight after children. To bad man don’t have them, then they’d been the ones struggling to take off the weight. 🙂

    1. I can’t speak for all men but I struggle with body image (and have all my life) and an inability to lose weight. I was so skinny that you could see my heartbeat… I became disabled and gained 50+ pounds…
      I think it’s a shame that men don’t show their vulnerabilities for fear of being seen as “weak”.
      Dr. Emily: you were an amazing addition to the Dr. Pol show and I will miss seeing you every Saturday night! May the Lord continue to bless you and your family!!!

  37. Tony loves you for who you are, not what you look like. Women’s bodies are amazing and we need to wear our scars , stretch marks, hernias, loose muscles and sagging breasts as medals for a job well done!

  38. I appreciate your take on this. Thankfully there are a lot of people who are thoughtfully questioning our socialization around health, weight, and body image. The media is slow to change with the times, but as long as we continue to challenge the status quo we can help ourselves and whoever comes after us be more open-minded.

  39. Thank you for this post. I too struggle with body image and losing weight. My husband never says a word and has told me when I’ve asked it doesn’t bother him. I think mine comes from my mom. She has commented to me about my sisters when they gain too much weight and has made suttle comments to me about my weight. It used to be easy to drop those ten or 15 pounds when I was younger but then I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid and a host of other autoimmune disorders. It is really hard to exercise and I can’t seem to drop a single pound. I weigh more than I ever have in my life. I know I’m harder on myself about the way I look. I go nowhere anymore. I practically never leave the house. I have a bad knee that needs replacing so walking is difficult. I really need to find myself like your mom did just don’t know how to do it. Thank you for being you. I so enjoy your posts. Sorry about the pity party.

  41. You rock Emily. Very well said article. We miss you but glad you have found your place! By the way, your mom is beautiful!!

  42. Thank you Emily for your post about self image. You made me feel good about myself for the first time in 50 years! I married a man who felt the same way your father felt about weight gain. Thank you so much for making me realize I may be fat but beautiful!!!!

  43. Your mother is a beautiful woman. We had girl bodies when younger, we now have womanly bodies! Embrace it!

  45. 12 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. I went through all the chemo but they had found it too late and it metastasized into my spine and collapsed it. So I lost 2 1/2 inches in height and got down to a ridiculously thin weight of 120 pounds. I looked like a skeleton and felt like I was dying every day. The doctor said that I would never be able to walk again and that I would be in a wheelchair. I had 24/7 pain and nausea. So now I don’t worry about my weight, I’m just thankful to be alive. And because of a couple of documented miracles I walk I stand and I am relatively pain-free! For years I worried about my weight and my husband was always very supportive. But after the cancer where he was my primary caregiver he hooked up with my best friend and we were divorced. Some people do not make it through the caregiving stage. I am now 71 years old, look like I’m in my late 50s, and eat to feel good. And I am grateful and thankful for every day that I’m alive. And after I was able to get up and move again I completed a masters And a doctorate and don’t regret a day of it! You look amazing Dr. Emily and I feel like you are an example to many people. I loved the episodes on Dr. Pol where you were pregnant having trouble getting into your coveralls, and Still pulled on calves and did whatever was needed. You and Tony are icons in my life! Love the life God has given you and treasure every moment with your kids.

    1. Congratulations on having weathered so much despite losing a husband, who probably wasn’t worth having anyway. You sound strong. Keep plugging away and live your life the way you want to!

  46. Talking about everyday life like you do is just great, just figure out how to turn it into a YouTube blog.

  47. Thanks for the post, I felt you were telling my story. I have always been overweight. I feel I have a beautiful face and a great personality, sense of humor and lots of common sense. I remember one time, a man said at a table I was sitting out, “look at Delta Burke, no wonder her husband left her who would want to make love to all that fat.” I was so blown away I felt like all men would look at me that way. I’m married but I know my husband would like for me to be smaller, I’ve tried all diets etc. I feel like I dress well, not like an oversize water tower. I just don’t feel good inside. Glad you found your way.

  48. Thankfully, I was not raised with body type and weight as an issue. My mom was tiny until she had her 3rd baby then gained and kept 30 pounds. We all just shrugged. I am quite taller than her and that was cool. My dad NE-VER called out any of us girls for our weight. That’s just the way I was raised. My husband, on the other hand was raised by an obese man who demanded that his wife be thin. The dozen or few times my husband tried to criticize my body I was like, “bite me, bubba!” I couldn’t care less what he thinks about my weight. I like what I see in the mirror and am so thankful for being raised like I was.

  49. You must have read my mind. I too have suffered from my size growing up. Unbeknownst to me was , I had a thyroid disorder that slowed my metabolism to a halt. After tonsils removed at 9 years of age, I went from looking like a pencil to looking like a basketball. After that insults began. Why couldn’t I be loved fat like I was when I was thin? I am 68 now and still have a self image problem. I have been on thyroid meds since 1980 and that and proper eating habits have kept my weight down with not much effort. Although saggy from age, babies and not being as active as I should be. But like you said..size shouldn’t matter. We should try to accept one another just the way we are… it’s what’s on the inside that really matters. Thank you Emily for speaking out…. You are so right! 👍

  53. Love it! I have always been tall 6ft and heavy (though when I look back on pictures there was a time when I was at a good weight). My mother told me that as long as I was heavy I would never get married. Fortunately I found a man who doesn’t care about that. I have tried many things and finally got. Gastric sleeve – many days it’s the easy way out – far from that – it’s major surgery and changing everything you do.

    Keep up blog – love reading it and love also hearing from Tony.

  54. Terrific post, Dr Emily. You are smart, thought provoking, funny, and a fine writer. May I make a suggestion about the blog format? I’m a former online marketing exec and we got paid to give folks website design advice. The advice is: knock-out text (light text on a dark background) is hard for folks to read, particularly older folks. All kinds of A/B split tests have proved this, hence no B to C sites use it these days. Anyhow, just a thought for us old fans 🙂

  55. Emily, Thank you for your insight ,It is fun reading your Blog. I think your doing a super job of raising a family and working full time . I think your a very smart Lady. I wish there were more like you in the world.

  56. Absolutely love, love, love this chapter! I tell my girls, “You be you, and don’t worry about anyone else!”

  57. A beautiful post. Beauty comes from the inside. Period. When we are at peace with ourselves, that’s when we are beautiful. That pic of your mom with her grandbabies is proof positive of that. Blessings on all of you.

  58. Emily, your most inspiring blog yet!
    ” Everyone sees the world from a different perspective” is a very profound statement and most helpful and, for the record most husband’s tend to respond exactly as Tony in that situation! Testimony!
    Thanks for your perspective on life. It’s great to read!

  60. I think most of us have body image problems. the press projects its ideal woman who is impossibly skinny as an ideal. I decided early that if a man could not accept me as I am, then don’t let the door hit him on the ass as he leaves. Being active kept me slim, but I still felt unhappy. I finally made peace with myself and practice an attitude of being healthy and accept myself. You have a great partner who loves you through thick and thin. I think you will be fine as you go through life. You are an amazing woman

  61. Dr. Emily,
    Tony doesn’t “see” what you consider imperfections, because he loves YOU. He loves the person, the woman you are. Love that ends when a partner goes through physical change isn’t really love, it’s shallow.

  62. 1st off, your mom is absolutely stunning!! Sorry but your dad is missing out! 2nd being “skinny” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be! I’m 37, 5’5”, & 113 lbs. I have done EVERYTHING to try to gain weight but nothing works. My husband, bless his heart, has had to listen to be bitch & complain about all of it for 12 yrs now. After dealing with pancreatitis (the swelling was unbelievable) & the birth of our son I was finally able to gain some weight but then all hell broke loose & lost it all. I went to a new doc which told me that I was severely lacking Vitamin D & that was some of the problem. After getting me numbers up I was able to put on 3 lbs! Ik it’s not a lot but it is to me. Then I started working out & put on 3 more lbs! Needless to say your body is going to do what it does & we don’t understand it but we can work with it to figure out what works best. We may not be all comfortable with ourselves & that’s okay b/c absolutely no one is perfect.

  63. I think your story is timed perfectly. With all the New Years resolutions, many people are out to get that summer body. Maybe if we accepted each other for who we are, we’d all be a lot happier and we’d like ourselves a little more. Stay true to who you are because you are a beautiful person and I think you are helping a lot of people by sharing your stories.

  64. All I can say is BRAVO… from a girl who has always been too short for my weight…. girl ! 60 yrs. still a girl..

    You certainly have alot of meaningful insights, keep it coming…. 🙂

  65. I love to watch you work. You are such a professional and your patients receive such good care.
    After watching you in action with large and small animals I have lost a bit of my anthropomorphism though my little Havanese is dear to me I have realized God put animals on earth to lighten my load. Thank you. Keep on helping animals to lead healthy lives. You amaze and inspire me.

  66. Emily, I was always teased in school for being a broomstick. The fact that my last name was Little made it even easier to be teased. Not bullied so much as my friend and even my brothers would call me little Bonnie Little. I never made it over 95 lbs until I went in the Air Force where I gained weight from the great chow hall food. I got up to 116. I stayed there til I finished having children and my goal was to get to 150 while pregnant. With my last child, when I was 34, I got to 149 and then she was born. I continually fluctuated between 120-140. I am now 58 and am up to 170 which I hate. At 140, I was most comfortable and looked my best. I finally realized most models are airbrushed and take pills to keep skinny. You do what you have to to make yourself feel good. If you are seen running, walking, twirling or lunges, just say you’re doing the Silly Walk skit from Monty Python’s Flying Circus! Hysterically funny group of guys! You’re beautiful, vibrant and have a good heart. I loved watching some of your antics when you were in Michigan! When Dr Pol came back from surgery, you had crawled over the sink to see him drive up. I’ve mentioned this to you before in another social medium but you were doing a sideways Siamese type dance, happy as a lark and Tony was laughing. I know this is long but I feel your mom’s and you pain and you are doing everything to meet your goals. I hope India never has doubts about herself. Like you said, a majority of women change and we have to deal with the issues as best we can. Our pictures won’t be airbrushed to make me beautiful again. Do the best you can, kudos to you for finding a wonderful husband and kudos to you in taking an active part in your own life. And if your ever caught doing silly things and feel the need to explain, which you shouldn’t just say you saw it on Monty Python’s silly walks skits. Thanks for being an inspiration on how to treat pets and kids and your husband. You two are fantastic together! Sincerely, Bonnie Little Johnson

  67. This is so perfect! Thank you so much Dr. Emily for being an idol and hero of mine. #realwoman #workingmom

  68. I have always admired your petite size, even when pregnant. Climbing over fences, shoulder-deep in a cow’s butt, pulling calves, sheep and pigs and goats.What a woman! It just never occurred to me that you had body image issues. I was very thin as a child until I had my two kids, then I gained weight. I was almost 200 lbs at my heaviest. My husband never commented about my weight but my mother sure did asking me on numerous occasions when was I going to lose weight! It upset me terribly. I now weigh 150 lbs, although I would love to lose 20 lbs. Now I am 71 years old, a widow and nearing the end of my life, although on the inside I feel like I am 20 years old and thin! Emily, you are a lovely person inside and out. A very skilled vetrinarian who really cares about the animals and their owners. You are a loving wife and mother and have a terrific husband! Be thankful for the blessings you have. Let me tell you a secret…..your life is going by so quickly now that one day, like me, you will wonder what happened to the time, how did it go by so quickly? Cherish this time, with your husband, your children, your career, your family. I realize that you must be more content with your new working conditions, but oh how I miss seeing you on Dr Pol. I am so glad that they are showing reruns that have you in them! You never let on that you were unhappy. And as another reader mentioned, seeing you climb over the sink the day Dr Pol came back to work was priceless! What a joy it was to watch you. Thank you for your honesty. I truly miss seeing your lovely face every week! God bless you and your family.

  69. Wow, that was a deeply personal post that relates to most women. I want to share a story, mom’s, so make sure your listening:
    At the age of 11 I grew up listening to people preach about having a slim body type was good for your health, and while that is true, it messes with your psyche. By the age of 14, when my doctor weighed me and told me I weighed more than 20 percent of girls my age, I got concerned. So concerned that I started starving myself. It I wasn’t caught dressing for work, I wouldn’t be here today. I was diagnosed with anorexia, and hospitalized at 43 lbs. I have a hole on my heart because my body started eating itself because I had nothing left to give. I was put in a eating disorde specific hospital and got an nasogastric tube put in while awake(which sucked). Don’t ever let anyone tell you you are inferior. You are who you were born to be, and you are beautiful. Love yourself and others equally. Your personality is what makes you special.
    Stay strong Emily, and keep shining. You are absolutely amazing. Your a great mother and animal lover.

  70. 👍🏻👏🏻❤️ By the way, you are beautiful and you don’t need makeup! Your mom is gorgeous. I’m so happy that she found her way through the mental demons. Love you ❤️

  72. Your Dad & my Dad sounds like they are twins. I carry those words with me to this day (57 this year). I still struggle with body image, but it is better. I have the same stomach issues. I have been told it’s in my head, but I figure it’s just my body. Thanks for writing such a relatable post. I don’t feel like the only one.

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