3 years of consistent effort. My journey has been slower than others and i had to run my own race and not compare my journey to others. Weight loss while battling mental health issues is freaking hard, but absolutely worth it. 2021 I was suffering with anxiety and PND. I started with the tiniest commitment that i could keep. A 5minute workout consisting of 5 movements. 1min of each movement with about 30 secs of rest. Star jumps. Pushups. Hizeman run. Squats. Burpees. This tiny workout that i was able to show up and do daily because it was so small my brain had a hard time finding an excuse to get out of it, was the beginning of the biggest changes.
That first year I didn’t see a big shift in my weight, and if that was my only focus I could have easily given up, but what i cared about so much more was my mental health and feeling better within myself. So while I didn’t see a massive shift in the scales what i did notice was so much more meaningful than any surface level changes. It created a huge shift in my self belief that i could commit to something, my fitness increased and i started doing 2 rounds for 10minutes and then 3 for 15. Eventually it spurred me on to start teaching Konga classes again. Soon enough I joined a gym. The brain fog and depression started lifting. I was able to feel joy and confidence again. I started eating healthier again, with more energy from working out in had more energy to get back in the kitchen instead of relying on the convenience of takeaway.
Of course life happens and I slip and have waves of overwhelm but every time they become more and more manageable. I have been able to learn to give myself grace and rest without throwing the whole wagon on the fire. I have learnt to shift my focus from what I cant do to what I CAN do. I have from a diet of restriction and binge eating cycles to adding in wholesome and nutrient dense food that fuels me and meets my nutritional needs, leaving space to eat the chocolate or ice cream of whatever without guilt or shame, enjoy it and move on.
It all started with one TINY choice I decided to commit to. Don’t discount your tiny wins. Keep going. They are effecting your health in positive ways that will compound and have a snowball effect. Celebrate every little positive choice. If you make one that doesnt align with your health goals tell yourself exactly that “I made a choice that doesnt align with my health goals”. Dont tell yourself your bad or useless or put any type of label on it. When we can have awareness without judgement, therein lies our power. Owning our choices without guilt or shame means we can acknowledge where we went askew and know we have the power to make a different choice at our next meal. Fail forward. Learn from our mistakes. Lean into our greatness. You are all amazing women and I am so proud of you all for being here, giving your best every day, no matter what that looks like!!!