Have you ever done a “fad diet” or read an article on “how to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks” to reach your fitness goals as fast as possible? Yeah, well that was me from 18-22. Growing up I was the thinnest girl in class and looking at my family, I thought I would never have a weight issue, but then college happened.
Attending one of the biggest party schools in the country (Arizona State University) can be tough for any young woman at 18 years of age. Between the pool weather and being in a bikini and shorts 90% of the year, I always tried making “healthy” choices by buying all low-fat foods and completing as much cardio as possible. What I failed to realize at the time was that these shortcuts to drop weight fast and then gain it all back, ultimately ran me down a long journey of unhappiness.
While consuming drinks every weekend and sometimes even weekdays, left me feeling depressed the next day and led me to overeat. Over the course of 4+ years with this unhealthy pattern of heavy drinking and yo-yo dieting, I became a broken bird.
On social media and on the outside, it might have seemed that I was somewhat happy, but I was constantly paranoid about my constant weight fluctuation. I had lost all my confidence and most importantly I lost a healthy state of mind.
From 18-22 I was back and forth with my weight. As the college years went on, by the time I turned 21, I skyrocketed up to my largest pant size ever. Weight is not the highlight of this story because the scale doesn't always determine health. Even though it was hard facing myself in the mirror, the worst part of me was my mental health. I began blaming everything around me and thinking “God, why are you doing this TO me?” or “I’ll never be happy!” and the worst one, “Ew, I am SO big!”. Nothing in my closet fit me and the only thing I looked at was other women that I wanted to resemble and old photos of myself when I was thinner.
First, saying negative thoughts out loud, did not magically make me healthier. Second, obsessing over what I use to look like or looking at other women, did not make me healthier. Finally, playing a victim, once again did not make me healthier.
If anything, these unhealthy habits are extremely toxic and let’s face it, who wants to be around that type of energy? I was the one creating this negative reality and I was the only one that was going to fix it.
One morning in the summer of 2013, I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself, not only physically, but mentally I did not know who I was. So I picked up my phone and contacted my old friend/ trainer. We started training 3-4 times a week. These sessions would last an hour and included HIIT training (high intensity interval training). Along with our circuits I had cleaned up my nutrition habits tremendously. After a few short weeks of training and following healthy eating, I was already down 10 pounds!
After the first month, I started transitioning small amount of wine, healthy baking and my indulgent meals back into my life. I noticed such a difference in my body and knew this was a solid plan I could stick to long term. I started to understand that my journey to be fit and healthy again was not going to take a month, it was a life long journey. The more I made a healthy balance of fitness and fun into my life, the easier it became to sustain this new lifestyle. I could not have been more thankful.
Fast forward from 2013-present, my life has completely changed for the better. I am healthy and even changed my career to health and wellness! In the last 12 years I have introduced Yoga, Pilates, Weight Training, Kickboxing and fun new workouts into my daily life.
The biggest lesson I have learned through this health journey is that good things take time. Never eating a piece of cake again or being too extreme will not lead to happiness, but balance will.
If I were to look back on my life at 21, I could never imagine that I would have overcome this huge obstacle and be where I am at today. Who knew a girl completely broken, unhealthy and lost only years ago, could create a whole new career and life from one decision. Inspiring others and bringing people out of a “low-fat life” to a fuller and healthier reality is something I will do forever.
Most importantly, new beginnings all start somewhere and most of the time it is when we hit rock bottom. When I kick started my new journey, it gave me a clean slate and a path to a fuller life.
Are you living your happiest and healthiest life? Remember, you cannot take shortcuts in life and making healthier choices does not mean you can't enjoy life. Life is about balance and sustainability to what works for you!
Follow me on my health journey @thefitbizz
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