I remember the times when I was at my peak weight of 190 pounds as a total nightmare. Everyday was a struggle between my body and me. I had gone to a plastic surgeon due to the heavy weight I was carrying on my chest, my extreme back problems were just getting worse and slouching became my “comfortable position”. I was told that unless I lost weight, I wouldn’t be able to do a breast reduction.
On my yearly check up I found out I was considered obese for my age and height, I was suffering from newly discovered lactose intolerance, heart burn, acid reflex, and worst of all taking a full deep breath was very painful. I almost felt as though I couldn’t breathe at some points because my chest was closing in on me. I felt helpless and terrible inside, but I still ignored it and went on with my day-to-day eating habits.
Ignoring wasn’t something new for me… in fact it’s what brought me to that point in the first place. I often ignored my feelings, pretended I didn’t care what anyone else thought of me, and looked at my reflection only from the neck up. My confidence was down to zero, I lied to myself constantly trying to squeeze into small clothes. I realize now that all this lying and ignoring is the only way I could feel like the person I wished I could be.
I didn’t want to lose weight at first. I felt like my eating was harmless, and I didn’t want to alter my way of life to fit societal standards. One day, my sister and I decided to innocently weigh ourselves. I was not expecting a number close to 200. At that exact moment I felt sadness and betrayal to my own body. What I had been doing to myself was destructive and unhealthy. I went to bed that night contemplating on how I could change this, and the next morning I woke up excited and ready to start my new, healthy lifestyle.
I used myself as a support system, I was changing for myself and myself only and knew I would be strong enough to do it. My mother helped me by putting food on the side before adding any additional salt or carbs. My immediate family was happy about what I was doing but friends and other family members put me down. They would suggest other diets that were easier or give me the lazy ways to losing weight like “drinking green tea”. I started something new and I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone change my mind, even if it was easier. Nothing in life is easy; going the hard way in is always the most rewarding.
Every month that went by I was seeing results and it felt amazing! I had no more medical issues. Even my chest was getting smaller which led to less back pain. I could have dairy products without feeling uncomfortable and my acid reflex had disappeared. I didn’t feel out of breath anymore and fitting in older clothes of mine put me at ease and reminded me of my good doing. I never felt like giving up because I felt healthy. Having a healthy lifestyle gave me a reason to wake up and get dressed. I felt more at control and organized in my day-to-day schedule.
Now, I weigh a steady weight under 130 pounds. That’s an entire 60 pounds off! On this journey I gained muscle as well, and am very proud to have a BMI of 20.5. The medicine I was taking for heartburn, indigestion, and lactose intolerance are long gone. I’m completely medicine free! Diets are short term, this is a lifestyle change for me. Find something worth fighting for, and use it to motivate you. Excluding meat products for a week from time to time has been key to my weight loss success – and I recommend everyone try it. A little help from your friends at the Low Carb Grocery is a huge help too!
-Ruya T.