The Day I Stopped Worrying About My Weight and Started Living Again
At what point do you realize that something that may work for others doesn’t work for you? At what point do you unfollow or mute friends because their stories aren’t your experience at all? I have always tried to have an open mind about things but there is some point you have to realize that somethings are detrimental to your physical and mental health? I am writing this not as a warning to others who have had success on the program but for the ones who are told the reason why the program didn’t work for you in the long run is because you gave up or you have no willpower. I am here to tell you that the problem isn’t always you- not every program works for everyone. So I am putting that disclaimer here- you have to find the one that works for you. So keep reading about the Day I Stopped Worrying About My Weight and Started Living Again.
So with that said, let’s go back to the summer of 2019 before Covid hit, my oldest daughter was getting married, and I wanted a program that would help me lose weight for those wedding pictures. So I was following a friend’s story and saw that she was doing a program, so I thought why not give it a try? So I signed up to do the program with a huge understanding I DID NOT Want to be a coach. I know myself and I know my limits, I am not someone who tries to push lifestyles on anyone. So that was a hard no for me. So I tried the program and did lose 25 pounds, but then I started noticing something. The amount of fiber that I was consuming in this program started to make me bloat, and I spent quite a lot of time in the bathroom I stopped going out in public because it gave me horrible gas. I just wish I had something like Total Restore to get me through this. ( Imagine if you are going to an event and you can’t hold it in- how embarrassed you would be.) So when I questioned if that was a side effect with everyone, they said yep, just don’t eat those products.
But there was one problem with that theory.
They were the only products that I could physically stomach without hurling. So I ended up just using the products that produced a lot of gas but sparingly. I would go to bed hungry and woke up hungry and then look forward to dinner every day because that was when I could eat normal food. This program is big on community support, but I felt all alone. The only time I felt support was when I was losing weight. There was nothing when all the issues arose. I felt like there had to be something wrong with me. Why wasn’t I worthy enough to accomplish what everyone else was accomplishing?
And then I started noticing something else
As you know, I am the face of my brand, and when I would share pictures of myself on social media to my business page, I started noticing that those images would show up on other pages trying to sell people on the program. And because I was tagged in some of those posts, I started losing out on sponsored campaigns and collaborations with other companies because they didn’t feel that being associated with the weight loss company was right for their image. Mind you, I am not saying that not every company is like that, but I have to be careful about what I do and don’t share on social media because that is where my bread and butter is made. If I had been asked if my photos could be shared, I would have said no because there are partnerships and contracts that might be in place that forbid me from doing this. So by inadvertently sharing my pictures, there was harm being done to the reputation I built up.
Fast forward after the wedding, I QUIT the program because my body was falling apart from the inside out. All that fiber I consumed on the diet was doing more harm than good. A year later, I found an accountability partner just for exercise, and that, combined with one supplement and eating nutritional meals throughout the day, had me feeling better than I had in a long time. The inflammation and bloating were gone, and I was able to do things that I hadn’t done in years. And also, the headaches were few and far between. Sure, I had to limit my carb intake, but I still have a piece of cake if I wanted to – just a smaller piece. Within the course of 3 months, I had lost 25 lbs, and I was the happiest I had been in years. Why do you ask not only was I learning that my body needed physical movement it also needed the support of an amazing friend who would hold me accountable just like I would hold her accountable without either one of us looking like a dollar sign for each other.
So fast forward 2 years later, and into the trash can went over $500 worth of food that my body couldn’t digest in a healthy way. Did I mourn over that “food” No, but did I cry over the money that was lost yes, for sure? But I knew that what I was doing was the best for me. In all honesty, I need to get back into what is best for me, and that means eating right again, exercising more ( just the other day I walked almost 2 miles with my oldest daughter and even though my back was aching I made so many memories with her) muting and unfollowing people who are triggers for my mental and physical health and just being the best me I can be. I am sure that I will probably lose some of those friends but in the end are they really friends if they can’t support you doing what is best for you?
Also like I said from the beginning not all these programs work for everybody and sometimes they just don’t click with your goals or your health. So I am not telling you not to try something. I am saying listen to your body because you know you best and don’t listen to the people who are trying to shame you into or stick with a program that you know isn’t right for you. After all you know you best,
With that I want to leave you with a verse to help you if you are struggling with this.
