I am often asked how I have lost over 100kg of weight. This is difficult for me answer, as there were many factors which led to my weight gain.
Despite the evidence provided by recent studies, society generally thinks that weight gain is associated with the volume of food we eat alone. So, the expectation is that if we eat less, we will lose weight. But this was not the case for me: it was more complicated than this.
There is not enough room in this post to go through all the contributing factors. But I can give you three concepts which were important for my weight loss.
Firstly, I learned not to worry about how much I ate. Instead, I increased my level of activity. My motivation slowly changed from comfort eating to eating to satisfying my need for energy. I discovered that genuine hunger from exercise increased my desire for healthier food.
Secondly, I did not fret about the numbers. I have never weighed myself. This is because the point of changing my lifestyle was to benefit my health and improve my longevity. Losing weight was secondary. However, the change in lifestyle did mean a dramatic loss of weight. What I did notice was a decrease in the size of my clothes, how well I felt and an increase in my mobility.
Finally, I worked out which foods were best for me. It’s not just about eating healthy foods, although this is vital for improving health. Certain foods leave me feeling bloated and uncomfortable; sometimes my joints and legs ache and my body feels as if it is developing the flu. Avoiding these foods improved how my body felt, increased my energy levels, and aided my self-acceptance. Pain makes it hard to enjoy yourself.
But the heart of my journey has been to learn to like myself no matter my appearance and to have compassion for myself wherever I was in my journey. I learned to love who I was on the inside and respect that person. This way I could choose to live a healthy life.
Enjoying who I am on the inside makes it easier to care for the vessel in which I live. That is what my body is to me, the vessel which carries my soul. If I want to love and enjoy my life, I need this vessel to function well. It goes without saying that the best way to do this is to live a healthy life.
Remember, no size fits all when it comes to health. We each have a different history, genetics, and lifestyle. You are unique and so is your journey to health.
If you would talk about your unique journey to health, message me for a chat.
In love, Jenny
