Often people will use the term “heavy set” to politely describe someone who is overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. I think it’s a funny term.

Heavy set implies that someone is set that way. Maybe because they’ve always been that way?

I’ve always tended toward the heavier side all the way back to grade school. I remember my mom would shop at Sears and pick out my clothes from the “Husky” brand. College is when I went off the rails (no Ruby!) and became truly “heavy set.” 

For many years I grappled with the concept that maybe I will always be the fat guy. Maybe that’s just my lot in life. Maybe I’m genetically programmed for that and that’s that. 

At my heaviest, I was about 290 pounds. This would have been eating and drinking anything and zero exercise. That’s where I topped out. Those people who end up 500 or 600 or 800 pounds are mind-boggling. That’s definitely a genetic or hormonal issue.

When I got things a bit more under control, I settled around 250-255 pounds. I would lose weight and gain it back up to that point. I thought I’d never get below 200, much less the so-called “proper” weight for someone who is 5’10.” 

Thinking I would always be the fat guy was just an excuse. It was a way to justify my bad habits. It was a cop-out. 

I was shaken awake by a serious health condition. It got real. I took charge of my health. Now I have settled at about 185 pounds. I have more to lose, but it’s easier now because I know what’s possible.

Being “heavy set” is really a mindset and a set of habits. You can change if you want to. You don’t have to settle for what you have and where you’re at. I know it’s not easy. That’s why most people take the easy path and end up where they are today.

We are all capable of way more than we think.