This is it! This is life, the one you get...

So Valerie Bertenelli has been on People magazine talking about how she is-get ready-a size fourteen.
A size fourteen.
Yes. I know this is shocking to so many people out there. Because heck, almost everyone is a size 8, right? Size six?

Um, that's right. A lot of women are size 14. So Valerie might be considered, normal.

But she's going to lose weight. And honestly, good for her. I really mean that. I've been working on losing weight for two months and so far I've lost five pounds. I'm pretty proud of myself. But years ago, I would be so mad at myself that it was only five pounds.

Right out of college I did the "Freshman 15" even though I didn't go away. To be honest, I started gaining during my last year of high school. I wasn't in PE that final year because as a senior, I wasn't required to take it anymore. So I said: "So long, volleyball! Good-bye, exercising to Lyle Alzedo! I'm through!"

But I felt FAT. Huge. I would look at myself and think: My God, I'm so fat. I'm like Delta Burke or someone like that. Now I look at pictures of Delta Burke back then and she was still lovely. But this is what happens: You forget everything except how you look at yourself. And I felt fat.

I did aerobics at school; a smelly room with a teacher who looked like Hillary Clinton who was also the cheerleading coach. She openly made fun of a woman who didn't understand some things she was saying, and people laughed along with her. Looking back now I wonder-why did I put up with that crap? But I kept on doing the exercises.

I kept my weight steady for years, then gained a lot after Sept. 11th. I think my attitude was: "Well, anthrax might be mailed to me, what does it matter if I eat a Krispy Kreme doughnut?"

I lost weight again a year later, then kept it off for two years. Then I went away to college and let's say this: Freshman fifteen meets the Junior whatever.

My weight is something I struggle with. One day I like not to struggle with it, that we can become friends. Someday.