I Didn’t Like What I Saw in the Mirror
So, I Did Something About It.
It was the beginning of December 2023. I was trying on clothes to get ready for an event, and as I struggled to get my clothes on, I started to get hot, which led me to start sweating, so I got flustered and uncomfortable. When I looked in the mirror, I hated what I saw and started crying. This wasn’t the first time I cried in front of the mirror because I was so unhappy and uncomfortable.
However, this time, I told myself, “If you’re tired of complaining about your body and tired of feeling like this, the only way to change it is to do something about it.” At that moment, I decided I needed to make a change. I couldn’t continue to hate myself in my body. The body that had birthed two children. The body that was fully developed into a woman’s body. The body that didn’t “snatch back” after my second child like it did with my first because I’m no longer in my early twenties. I no longer had the skinny teenage body I was so used to - I had thick thighs, curves, a stomach, and big arms. Oh, and my face, every time I smiled, I saw the extra weight!
The change would be that after we came back from our family vacation at the end of December, I would start exercising and changing my eating habits. Well, I didn’t start until January 13th, but I began by walking outside for 20 minutes daily. I wrote about the benefits of walking and the changes I started noticing.
In February, I decided to do the 40-day sugar fast. I was going to do it alone, but I ended up asking online who wanted to join me, and eight women signed up! It was great having a support group because the last time I did a sugar fast, the first two weeks were the hardest. This time, it was hard, too, but I knew others were going through the same thing.
So, for the sugar fast, I stopped eating processed sugars, only natural sugars like honey or fruits, and stopped eating processed foods, rice, and alcohol. It was hard at first because it’s an addiction. You crave the sugar, your body is telling you you need it, and you get moody while going through the detox, but if you stay strong after 21 days, you’ll see a shift. When I eat sugar, I limit my intake, and it tastes super sweet, so I don’t eat as much anyway. I only drink water, tea, and fruit smoothies made with Ripple milk.
What I’ve Learned
With this transformation, I’ve learned that exercising gives me energy, and when I have energy, I feel better, and when I feel better, I’m in a better mood to do other things. I wake up feeling rested!
Everything has sugar or added sugar, so I’m careful about what I eat now. And even though something says “zero sugar,” it usually has sugar alcohols, which are a different type of molecules; I haven’t found too much research on the long-term effects of it, so I’ll still be conscious of eating “zero sugar” foods or drinks.
Since I started this journey for weight loss, I could only “just walk” for a limited amount of time until I plateaued, and then I had to switch up my routine. I slowly added weights, jump rope, and cycling to my workout routine. Sometimes, I’ll jog on my treadmill, and I’ve noticed my endurance increasing.
This is the first time in my life I’ve had to lose weight, so I had no idea how hard it actually is, and there were weeks when I felt like I wasn’t making progress. I would focus on the small wins like my endurance; I felt “skinnier” and liked the shape and transformation my body was making.
So much so that I’ve decided this is a lifestyle now. I’ve been going for six months strong, and I pray every day that God provides me the strength to keep going. I also thank Him for my health and ability to move my body and exercise.
All of This to Say
If you are unhappy about something in your life, you have the power to change it. Just start small. Don’t make drastic changes upfront because it’s going to be too much, and you’ll be discouraged quickly. You have to start with a small change until it becomes a habit and then add to it. But you can do it! I believe in you; you just have to believe in yourself!
With Love, Heidy
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