It's hard to believe what a difference a year can make.
Last May I got a hard slap in the face from reality about my health. I was the heaviest I'd ever been, the unhealthiest I'd ever been, and my self esteem had reached an all-time low. I felt miserable, though I hadn't admitted it for a long time. I spent most of my spare time sleeping or watching TV-- just very sedentary. Not sure you would call it depressed because I wasn't sad, but I suppose it was a form of depression in and of itself in that I didn't have motivation for anything. At all.
I saw a picture of myself from my trip to Illinois that May. I remember thinking, "Who is that girl, cause it's not me and that's not what I look like!" As soon as I got home I got started on transforming the way I ate, the way I thought about food, and I started exercising. It was slow start... just walking two miles was a challenge (especially in the heat). It was discouraging and it sucked for a long time. It didn't happen overnight, and sometimes I cried. I didn't feel good about the changes I was making for a couple of months. But this was a lifestyle change, and I was determined it would become my way of life.
Fast forward to a year later. I feel like a different person. I feel healthy in mind, body, and spirit... and that isn't something I've ever been able to say before.
A year ago I could barely walk two miles without being really short of breath. Today I can run five miles without stopping... not that it's always easy or doesn't have its obstacles... I've worked to build endurance, fought through fatigue, shin splints, and complete discouragement. Some days I'm completely unmotivated. A year ago my diet consisted of a lot of processed or fried food and very few fruits and vegetables. Today I eat a healthy, balanced diet but still enjoy my treats. Food is still something I love, but not something that can control me. Again... there are still bad days. I still want to turn to it emotionally at times and I continue to work on that. Let's just say I'll always be a work in progress, but today I love the person that I am! And I'm working to become better every day!
