That's a wrap #YWM2015 The Your Weight Matters Convention

The week after the Your Weight Matters National Convention is always the same for me... happy, tired. nursing aching muscles including my face from smiling so much, a sore throat from talking and laughing with friends, a little melancholy (sort of like the day after Christmas) as I know it maybe a year before I see some of my new and old friends again but more than anything I am inspired, motivated and I feel armed with education and support to carry me through the coming year.

I also know I am not alone in taking on some more collective issues those of us affected by obesity face. I said this in my welcome speech: 

"There is power in our individual voices, in sharing our stories, we are not headless bodies, nameless statistics, we are people and soon to be new friends and there is even more power in coming together and raising those voices. This is one of the reasons I got involved with the OAC. I was denied weight loss surgery. I had a BMI of 54.5 I had a bunch of obesity related illnesses and while my insurance was paying for the treatment of all of those. When I was denied treatment for my obesity. I sat in my car and cried. I was sick (literally) and tired and frustrated and angry and I was alone or so I thought... after a few days of tears I started doing some research, I ended up on the Obesity Action Coalition website, I spent about 2 hours reading all the resources and I became a member before I logged off. I didn't want anyone to have to go through what I went through, crying in that parking lot. Knowing there was a group who was fighting for me for access for treatment, was educating society that obesity is more complex than pushing away from the table and jogging more, that the bias and stigma and discrimination that some of us have faced is NOT OK. It was EMPOWERING. I was excited at all the great things we can achieve together."

I am proud to be a member of the Obesity Action Coalition.

If you have been on the fence about going to an event... do it once, I promise you will be glad you did and I think you'll be hooked. Plan now for #YWM2016 August 25th-28th, 2016: Washington DC - Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Sign up for e-alerts and you'll be sure to be in the loop when room block (only $129 a night), registration, and scholarship opportunities are announced.

But back to #YWM2015 A picture tells a thousand words...

I'll be posting more pictures, info from my lunch table talks and more about the education and vendors in the coming weeks. It was an amazing weekend. Pure awesome.

Hope to see you at #YWM2016