After my father had passed, I was stuck. The past years were a whirlwind of school, work, family, hospitals and more work. I wasn’t focused on myself too much, and just really did what I could to keep chugging along. It also meant that I made unhealthy choices when it came to my own well-being.
Once my father had passed, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Suddenly, the time and the energy I had spent helping him was free. I felt guilty for it. I didn’t know what to do with it. It felt wrong to go out and do something for myself. So, instead, I just worked. I really didn’t know how to do anything else.
I suppose all these years, I never once thought about my mental or healthy well-being. I just thought that my life was what it was, and I was never going to be the ideal of anything. I ate what I wanted, whenever I wanted, and I believed I wasn’t ever going to be good at being healthy. I wasn’t morbidly obese or wearing plus size clothing, but I was certainly on my way.
I hated looking at myself in the mirror. I loved shopping, but never for clothes because nothing ever fit right. I looked like a short, very round person. Everything was oversized and…lumpy. I only loved shopping for shoes and handbags, because I could never look fat in those. I tried to squeeze myself into body shapers and slimmers, because I refused to admit that I had a problem.
6 months later, I found myself in a cardiologist’s office, discussing some sort of indicator that signaled I might have problems in the future. The cardiologist I initially saw wasn’t the nicest, but she did bring me down to reality. I was a tiny person, who weighed too much and was nowhere near a healthy lifestyle. My father used to always warn me about being unhealthy. He had become overweight, and had suffered from a heart conditions and diabetes. Ultimately, it was these ailments that attributed to his condition. I hated the idea, but I was on my way to becoming that way.
Seeing all the things that could happen to me, and remembering how bad I felt about myself jolted me into action. I wanted to get better. I had to be healthier. I was tired of hating myself, being jealous of others, and being embarrassed over appearances. It was time for me to take care of myself. I did not want to end up like my father did.
Long story short, I did it. I was very adamant about eating right and working out. I lost over 30 pounds in about a year. I loved the South Beach and Mediterranean Diets, and my daily exercise motto was “5k every day!”. The determination and drive made the results that much more satisfying.
Years later, I find myself in the same circumstances (albeit different reasons). I am creeping up to my pregnancy weight due to stress and unhealthy eating. I find myself feeling bad about my appearances, and wishing things were better. Today, is a new day. I am pulling out my old tools and going to relive that life once again. So far so good….!
I’ll be checking in once a while on progress for accountability – it’s going to be a slow process, but worth it!
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Wow. Such an inspiring story. I myself struggled with looking in the mirror and learning to love my body for what it is now. I have been blogging all about it. Please check out my series “story of a thick girl” in my recent posts located in the side bar. I would love your thoughts.
Congratulations on taking the steps toward a healthier lifestyle.
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Seems like we definitely relate! I’m definitely check out your journey. Congrats to you too!
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Thank you sooo. Small steps! Looking forward to your thoughts!!!!
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Thank you sooo much. Small steps are big steps for me. Looking forward to your thoughts!!!
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I believe in you! Cheering you on in spirit 😊
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Thank you!
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I need to find your motivation some how. But where do you find motivation?
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It’s hard! I am competitive by nature so joining a group of like minded folks helps. For me, I just wanted it so badly…so that was enough. I tried to find the enjoyment out of it, and soon it became habit and less tedious.
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It is so hard to find the motivation. I looked to myself and what I really wanted for myself to determine what I needed to do be Happy and Healthy. I also started using It Works wraps and greens to boost my weight loss journey.
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Admittedly, it’s very hard. I haven’t made the best choices these past few weeks. I did manage to make some good choices though, so I will build on that the next few weeks!
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Exactly. It is good to feel a little guilt…shows you care about really making the change
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