Hello, Internet!
Today is the beginning of the end of my journey. As many of you, weight has been a struggle for a time. Money is not always handy and junk food is always cheaper, so my eating habits were rather crazy. Job and school allow me to keep somewhat an "active" life so I thought I was make it up for the lack of vegetables in my meals. I was fat, and I didn't felt it like a problem because I accepted my body the way it was and tried to live my life on the terms I'd set for myself. I've made a vow to never let society and their pretty, flashy, hovering billboards to tell what I shod wear, what I should buy and how should I look. I thought that my way of thinking was a show of strong character and was undoubtedly proud of it, but the thing I'd failed to realize was the fact that I wasn't been entirely honest to myself. In parties, I'd always chose coke. My snacks were cookies even though my mom always brought home fruits. I was listening to the part of marketing that tells you a burguer is more tasty than watermelon while at the same time I was deaf to the run for your heart ads. On those old days, I'd made an unhealthy decision and tell myself I didn't care if I was fat because being fat it's not a bad thing. The word fat is not a pejorative, it's not an insult and it's definetely it's not an low-standar for people. Till this date, I do believe this. We are all beautiful and we deserve love indiscriminately. So the real problem was my own health.
When I started to feel more tired than usual, my heart throbbing at random times, I went to the doctor. My cholesterol was incredible high for a person who haven't even reached 20. So he was pretty clear: I needed to start living healthier. At first, it was hard. They all tell you how hard it is at the begninng and how you shouldn't let that to stop you and how it all will get better if you keep trying. Well, they're partly right. It is a struggle worth going through. But that's not it. Doing things differently than you're used to, especially if it comes to the fact that we always need to eat and on multiple times (so it's not like it can be avoided or not thought of), requires an incredible amount of self-motivation that sometimes we don't have. I certainly dind't have it. So it takes much more than motivation only to make the good decisions for your heart, for your body. It requires discipline and responsability. You need to thin before you act. Do I really really need to put mayoinnaise in this? Does it really really change the flavor of my rice? Those were the questions I'd put myself every single time I'd eat. I always carried around my water bottle, and I couldn't allowed myself to forget it because then I'd be tempted to bought a coke.
I don't have pictures of the before, and I won't show the pictures of the "now". As I said, this is the last part of my journey because I am finally understanding the true needs of my body and listening to them. I am not a gym fazed person (I don't even like the vibe of gym) and I don't eat salads 24/7. But I do feel at ease with my skin now, I can run and don't feel like an old person anymore. The reason I wanted to shared this with you was because to reached this tage I'd gone trought a lot, and on many days I did gave up. I'd look up to picture of skinny, healthy people and then look at myself and see no change at all. On those days, what really let me return to my path was people's stories. To know that some man or woman is going through the same as I am, to know it is possible, to know that I can give up and then don't wait until tomorrow to start up again. Which is why I want to shared this, so that someone who is feeling down can (by any chance) found this and know that he or she needs to be up on track in this right momment. It's not easy to do it alone. But perhaps you don't realize that your not alone, and I don't mean us people on the internet or whatever. I mean your body. Because once you learn to listen to what your body needs, you gain a new voice to take into account every time you're going to make a decision.
I am organizing my first game right now, as to commemorate this incrideble chapter of my life that has being DietBet, and I hope that it gives me the last push I need to keep going on with this healthy life style. The last year has being crazy and my eating habits had changed a lot, but I felt like I needed to do it for my health. Today, my health is no longer an issue, so I am doing it entirely for myself. You are welcomed to join if you want.