Weight Loss Can Be Challenging on Many Levels… Can You Identify With Mary?
Mary is a friend of mine from the States… she is an avid writer and crafted her personal journey dealing with excess weight by adding her creative writing skills to give us an enjoyable way to identify with the same struggles so many of us walk in everyday.
Thank-you Mary for your courage in sharing this with us…
“Yo mama is so fat the back of her neck looks like a package of hot dogs.” I used to hear these types of jokes and cringe, feeling they pertained to me in particular.
I was overweight my entire life, tipping the scales at 170 pounds in high school. I never had a boyfriend, and was extremely quiet, ashamed of myself and my body.
No one understands the pain and frustration this causes until they walk a mile in your shoes. So please, take my hand and walk with me through my journey from fat to fad to fit. Walk a mile in my shoes.
Do you have any idea what it is like to live in a petite body frame, stand a mere 5 feet 2 inches tall and weigh 50 pounds more than you should?
It sucks.
Do you know what it is like to look in the mirror every day and hate the person looking back at you? Do you have any idea how hard it is to hear your friends tell you about their love lives when all you can do is dream about having one?
The greatest compliment I ever received was about my wrists. Yes, my wrists. Someone once said to me, “Oh my God, look at your wrists! They are so tiny and cute!” Well thank you sooo much. I feel like a sex symbol now. I have the best looking wrists in town.
My obsession with fad diets began when I was 16 years old. I ordered a bottle of diet pills without my mom knowing and began working out twice a day. I ate the same meals each day: cereal with a banana for breakfast, a tuna sandwich for lunch and chef salad for dinner. No variety, but hey, I lost 23 pounds. And guess what? I gained it back in less than a year.
Fast forward a few years. I am now 23 and a single mother. Yep, I obviously found love at some point, huh? I was a nurse at the time, working a lot of hours. My son was a little over a year old, and I had gained a considerable amount of weight. One day I stepped on the scale and it said, “You weigh 215 pounds.” I fell backward, my heart stopped beating for a minute and I could not breathe. This was the highest my weight had ever been.
Once the initial shock wore off, I swore the evil machinery would not reach 216. So what did I do? Nope, I didn’t begin eating fruits and vegetables, or start going to the gym. I rushed to the store and bought myself the 48-Hour Hollywood Diet. Did you know you could lose up to 10 pounds in two days with this magical fad? WOW! Count me in. Or not.
This diet only allows you to drink this fabulous concoction for two days. That’s it. No food, just its magical fluid to lose ugly, disgusting weight. And you know what? I did not make it one full day. Why? I WAS HUNGRY! I weighed 215 pounds for crying out loud. Of course I was hungry. So now I was hungry, angry with myself, eating more than I should because of this fad diet and more frustrated than ever. Enter Herbalife.
Herbalife worked for a while–when I could afford it. I would say I lost approximately 40 pounds while I was on it. Yay me! However, the minute I could not afford it, I gained the weight back. Enter frustration and more eating. Why couldn’t I just lose weight? The worst part is that I was a nurse. I knew what I needed to do, but I wanted the fastest, easiest way to a slim and sexy body. Damn, vanity kills you.
Okay, so now I find love again at 170 pounds. Yay me! Not. I get pregnant. More weight to contend with. Then I get pregnant again 14 months later. More weight. So three kids later I am at 185 pounds. Ughhh…
Wait, something finally works, though. I lose 10 pounds in one week! How, you ask? STRESS!!! Woo-hoo. So I keep going with the whole, do not eat strategy. You would be so surprised how good that works. Well, until you see something you cannot refuse and then the weight jumps on you like flies on you know what.
At this point I am 30 years old and tired of the up and down game. My frustration is leading me to tears. I watch women everyday who are so thin and pretty, and all I want is to be thin and pretty too. Every now and then I look at my wrists and think to myself, “Well, at least your wrists are cute.”
The next six years of my life is a weight loss/gain roller coaster. Grapefruit diet? Been there, done that. Atkins diet? Yep, but I love carbs way too much to adhere to it. Fasting? Sorry, I need to eat three squares.
Let me introduce you to me now. I am 36 years old, and realize that being overweight is a health risk, not a vanity issue. Once I changed my mindset, the weight came off. Once I stopped stepping on the evil machine everyday, I had less stress. And once I found a personal trainer, my life changed forever.
Here is the thing: you cannot exercise sporadically and expect to lose weight and keep it off. You cannot eat an apple one day and think you have met your fruit count for the month.
My trainer has shown me the light. Not only has drawn up an exercise plan to meet my needs (not every two people are the same) but has also helped me decide on a healthy weight and has designed a proper nutritional guide for me as well.
I am now 135 pounds and in the best shape of my life.
The best part is the motivational support I receive.
My personal trainer is just that–personal.
He makes sure I have the right tools and emotional support necessary to be as healthy as I can be. Yes, I am happy with my body, but I am happier knowing that I have added years to my life–extra years I have to spend with my children.
I know how difficult it is to lose weight. I know the frustration accompanying it. I know the pain. People who do not have this problem tend to say, “Well if you really want to lose weight you would stick to a diet.” They do not understand how hard it is.
This is why my personal trainer made such a difference in my life. He never judged me–not once. He just wanted to help. And he has.
If you can identify with Mary and would like chat about your options please click here to arrange a free diet and fitness consultation
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My Weight Loss Journey--Fat to Fad to Fit... True Story
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