Okay guys, so two things. One, this little weight loss post is going to be longer than my usual posts and two, I’m being a little vulnerable with this post. But that’s okay because its an important topic that we should be discussing. The pictures above are of me when I was 18, 17, and 16 (in that order). I was a happy teen that was completely immersed in sports (volleyball mainly). But that didn’t change the fact that when I looked in the mirror, I totally thought I was fat! Of course now when I look at these pictures I think of that ever-so-popular meme that says:
I mean seriously, what was I thinking? Why did I feel fat? I was 5’11 and a wore a size 8. I worked out 5-6 days a week for hours at a time. Well the answer to that is simple. Every magazine, tv show, and movie I looked at had the skinniest women (with long, straight hair) as the “beautiful one”. They normalized size 0-3 to the point that I thought I was WEIRD for being a size 8! That kind of message was horrible and totally to blame for the body issues I had as a perfectly healthy kid. And I’m sure I’m not alone here. I mean, this is basically a perfect representation of how the media portrayed beauty:
https://youtu.be/vQfmpXsLV_4
Why I Decided To Lose Weight
Luckily, after going to college, having the time of my life, and gaining a ton of weight I decided enough was enough. My confidence was basically out the roof (with a little help from liquid encouragement I’m sure), but I knew that my body wasn’t healthy. To add on to my motivation, by this point I’d seen too many of my family members fall victim to diabetes and high blood pressure. I refused to get those diseases as well. So, I started working out. Not to only to get to the size I once was, but to get healthier and stronger.
How I Gained It Back
I lost a ton of weight – seriously, like 50 pounds. How did I do it? I stopped drinking, I ate healthy (counted calories), and I worked out religiously. Every day I would run (1-3 miles) and I would lift weight. It was tough work but my results were crazy! Everything was going great…and then I moved to Texas. To say I slipped off the wagon would me an understatement. It’s more like I rode to the edge of a cliff in the wagon, went over the cliff, tumbled down the side of the hill, and then the wagon fell on top of me. I simply stopped working out. I don’t have a reason for it, other than I was busy trying to find a life here! But at the end of the day those are excuses and 50 pounds later (eh, maybe a little more), I’ve decided to get serious again!
Why Weight Loss Is About More Than Just Your Size
I say all of that to say this – Despite my rollercoaster of losing (and gaining) weight, I’ve learned to maintain a healthy image of myself. No matter if I gain or lose weight, I know that my body is strong and can do ANYTHING that I take the time to teach it to do. [The snap back is real] If you’re in the process of losing weight, don’t forget that it takes time. It is not an overnight thing. Because of that, you need to teach yourself to love yourself as you are RIGHT NOW! The best way to feed into that positivity, is to surround yourself with positive people! I couldn’t imagine going through my day-to-day without the amazingly supportive people that I have in my life.
So, no matter where you are RIGHT NOW, just know that it’s never too late to get healthy. You’re never in too deep to change yourself for the better. Oh, and you need to stay away from all things negative, even if it’s tough. In my opinion, there’s no better way to promote feeling better about yourself than surrounding yourself with positive people, and getting in some workouts! Those sweats really help me let stuff go and builds confidence like no other! I wish you the best, girlfriend!
Thanks so much for sticking with me through this super long post! If you can relate to my personal story, I’d love to hear about yours in the comments below. If you really love this post, share it with your friends! It would mean the world to me.
Happy Sweating,
Pin Dis
