I have been mia from the world of social media. I have been putting myself first and taking my health back. I am super grateful and proud of my accomplishments of become healthier. Losing weight was not about the number on the scale or the size I wore. It has always been about being healthy. For the first time in my entire life, I physically feel healthy! For the first time, I don’t feel like my body is holding me back from anything.
As I sit and reflect on this year, I am amazed as to how far I have come – especially health wise. Because of the progress made health wise, I got my own office space, was able to take Anthony on the metro into NYC without any guidance, and was able to enjoy summer events… just to name a few.
A year ago today, I was 235lbs, unable to simply walk to the car without losing my breathe. I was living off my rescue inhaler because my doctor refused to give me steroids (the maintenance inhaler). I found myself in worse breathing condition them my husband, so much so, I was using one of his nebulizer treatments. (Don’t worry – it was the same medication as my rescue inhaler, just different form. Trust me when I tell you that nebulizer saved me from going to the emergency room many times.)
Exactly a year ago, I had two doctor appointments in one day. The first one was an obgyn. The doctor told me that all my symptoms where because I was overweight and gave me the name and number to surgeon to do gastric bypass. The second doctor’s appointment was a natural doctor/chiropractor who told me my hormones were messed up and my body was rejecting everything I was eating which is why I would lose one pound and gain 3.. He said to me “give me 6 months to a year – you will lose the weight naturally”. That is exactly what I did. I followed his program to the “T”, and a year later the results speak for themselves.
One of my favorite weekends this summer, the weekend started on Friday when we all went to the beach. I stopped at Target on the way home and picked up a bathing suit. Because I know I lost a lot of weight, I picked up everything and anything that I remotely liked. Of course, it was the first one that I picked up that was the winner. But I quest ion whether or not I would fit into it (spoiler alert – I did!). This is the ecstatic moment. A year ago I was a size 2xl. The bathing suit I picked up – the top was size M, and the bottoms were a size L. I was super happy and proud of myself. My husband, said to me, you are walking around with a “swag” I have not seen in years! I took that as I got my confidence back and he could see it.We enjoyed the broad walk, took pictures, and enjoyed the time we had together in the sun.
In years past, I would go out in the sun one day and I would be out for the count as in I could not move from sun poisoning… but that’s not what happened.The next day, we went to the famous food festival at the Tanger outlets in Deer Park, NY. Because I have stuck to my new lifestyle so Ridgely for 10 months, I was able to let loose and enjoy the day!
We visited a place that served potato chips on a stick. A premium acai bowl which was definitely needed on a hot summer day. Candied bacon in the form of beef jerky. Homemade organic juice which was refreshing. But … I must have taken some sugar smarties and got a sugar high(sarcasm), because I remembered my sun screen for the beach but not the food festival. So … I got really burnt. But even with that, it knocked me out for the night, but it did not take me completely out for weeks, like it has in years past. The next day, I was up and back in the kitchen cooking trying a new recipe.Sunday, we rested most of the day. When I finally got antsy, I got up and made a new recipe. Honey, Rosemary, and Lemon Chicken. It was so good, that the whole family enjoyed it. Which is a rarity.
My husband had an emergency doctor’s appoint in NYC. Those doctor appoints are all day affairs. At the last minute, our ride was not able to take us. I bought a metro card because I had a feeling that was going to happen. I planned out the route we had to take. When we got the call, I emailed the doctor told them what was going on and that we would be late for the appointment. They said to come in anyway, and off we went. Years past, I would never even dreamed that would be possible.
I also had enough money saved up to rent a co working space. Which had lead to some awesome relationships. Including, 2 jobs in the same building! How awesome is that!
I have learned so much about healthy eating, nutrition, what it means to have a nutrient dense meal, and the difference between a healthy fat and a bad fat.I learned what a nutrient dense meals looks and feels like. I now know that it is more important for the ingredients that you are ingesting then it is for the nutritional panel. People ask me all the time – “How did you do it? How did you stay away from carbs, sugar, fruit, dairy, just to name a few?” When you know what good feels like, you don’t want to touch anything that zaps that energy away. It reminds me of a scripture – Taste and see that the Lord is Good! Especially since I literally lived off of grilled plain chicken, roasted cauliflower, air fried sweet potatoes, brown rice and avocados for months.
Today, I have full days and I don’t feel beat up. I have the emotional strength to overcome obstacles like never before. Yes, I lost over 70lbs – and the dr was right, I did not have to call the gastric bypass surgeon. It took hard work , dedication and a whole lot of sacrifice. But the best news of all – I finally feel like I am ready to tackle the world – rather than the world tackling me. I am beyond grateful and proud of my journey and accomplishments of becoming a healthier version of myself. A year later – and my body finally does not dictate my life anymore.
