I know that feeling, the shortness of breath, fatigue and discomfort. I know what it feels like to be overlooked by your crush. I know what it is like to find relief in foods that are not good for you. I was once close to 200 pounds and at only 16 years of age. My doctor warned me and my parents about the dangerous road I was heading down. I was already showing signs of high blood pressure and border line diabetes. It was a scary time for my family and myself. My parents didn’t understand what they were doing wrong and I didn’t understand the harm I would cause myself attempting to lose weight at any cost.
I was a young teen who became fixated on the idea of losing weight for a better quality of life. That later became an obsession with the number on the scale and the size pants I wore. I fell into two common eating disorders — first, anorexia and later bulimia. For a time, I dealt with it on my own until the feeling of control slipped out of my hands. I turned to my mother and my private doctor. With their help, I managed to gain some sense of balance and further educated myself on the permanent damages I could cause.
If manipulating my body wasn’t an option anymore, I later turned to mechanical alternatives. I became a cardio-bunny and salad-eating supplementation junkie. I had a real issue with my curves, and I tried everything to tame them. I would invest hours at the gym and sometimes come back for a second session. I blame ignorance and lack of knowledge. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that I discovered the gym, and it was there where I learned the ins and the outs on shaping your body. It also helps that society has opened its mind to all shapes and size.
The gym has become my sanctuary. It’s become my school, and the people there have become friends and my second family. I’ve further educated myself through accredited classes and have applied everything I’ve learned to find my balance. At the age of 30, I am in the best state of health possible, which is now my number one focus. I am also the strongest I have ever been. I have to say that eating right and implementing extra activities has become my fountain of youth.
You can watch my video on YouTube for my full story, and I hope that by sharing my story you can truly not feel alone during your fitness journey. If there is one thing I would like to stress in this post, it’s that quality of life should be about optimizing your health, not your physical appearance. It took me years to learn this; and now that I live by it, I’m in such a better state of body, mind and soul.
Make sure to tune into my channel as I will be providing more informative videos as well as fitness routines and meal plan ideas.
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