Transformation Tuesday | Getting Fit Helped My Self-Worth

I wasn’t always overweight. I started gaining weight around the 4th grade, and slowly it started to get out of control. I was always raised around food, and it was always second nature to eat.

When I got into young adulthood, my eating habits got really bad. I would spend $20 on fast food for myself on a daily basis, always have dessert and go on late night runs for anything I was craving. I had no limitations. I had always wanted to lose weight, but I never had enough drive to make that change. It was only just a thought or an idea.

In November 2011, my older brother passed away. He was an obese diabetic with high blood pressure. I watched throughout his whole life struggle with his weight and not take care of his body. I loved him to death, and hoped he would get better but that never happened. He died of a congested heart and kidney failure.

I was devastated and sad. I couldn’t come to reality that my brother was gone. He was a huge supporter of mine and we got along really well in the last years of his life. He was only 30 when he passed away.

It took me three months after he passed away to get my life together. I knew that I didn’t want to end up like him. Instead of eating myself away, I motivated myself to get up and lose weight. In February 2012, I used the catholic observance Lent (where you give up something for 40 days) to give up fast food and soda. I started eating smaller portions, cutting out any late night food runs, and had lots and lots of water.

I also started with Zumba as an exercise source at home because I had tried many times at going to the gym and just didn’t feel comfortable or resourceful enough to make use of it. Zumba did wonders to move being active. I lost 25lbs within 2 months!

I tend to get bored easily with workouts or programs, so I have to switch it up every few months. I transitioned to Insanity and completed that program. It was intense and really hard. I finished it with two injuries along the way but I was too determined not to finish.

I then started running after the insanity program was over. I loved running, it felt so freeing, and it gave me time to just meditate and think. I then changed out my eating to being a lot “cleaner”.

I currently weight train and have been doing that since February 2013, and it has helped me lose 80lbs 17 months in. Once I had hit my 80lbs mark, I had decided again to switch things up and try IIFYM.

I loved the idea of no food restrictions and still making progress, but over time, I had taken advantage of this way of eating and started to slide back into my old habits. Over a 9-month period I gained 30lbs.

I had to remind myself why I started and what lit a fire under my butt from the beginning. It was my brother, but more importantly, I needed to get back on track for myself. I’ve now lost those 30 lbs I’d gained, and hope to hit my 100lbs goal by my 3 year “fitsversary” in February 2015.

I’m really proud of myself and have realized my brother’s purpose on the Earth. He always wanted people to have better lives and live them to the fullest, and now I understand that with him being gone. He’s given me the best gift I could have – self love and self worth. I thank God everyday for the little bit of time I had with him and pray that I can share his light through me as a vessel.

Thanks for reading guys, and keep going.

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