Not a diet, a lifestyle.
It's been a struggle and a half. Emotionally and physically.
3 years ago or if you want me to be precise, 1095 days ago, I made the decision to change my life. I made the decision to change my life so that I would want to look at myself in the mirror; so that i wouldn't cringe at the thought of taking full-body pictures with my friends; so that I could walk on the beach and not worry about my ankles giving in after 5 minutes. I made a decision to be healthy.
But like all decisions, it was easier said than done. Change was the name of the game during the first year, I had just started University and I had finished matric (grade 12) off on a high note. I felt on top of the world and I was determined to lose this weight. I joined a gym, ate healthily and felt great.
However, like with every journey, it has its ups and downs. The highs and lows - the parts that no one tells you about. Like how much blood, sweat and tears went into that post showing a happy, beaming girl who has just completed a race or how difficult it will be to say no to that Ice-cream.
The first word that comes to mind when people see "weight loss" is diet. However, something that I have come to realize is that, that is not true. In fact, if you are planning on losing that weight effectively (and for good) diet only encompasses one part of a whole, that whole being a complete lifestyle change. You can't shift the weight if you do not shift the mind first.The brain journey is by far the tougher part of the the road to weight loss and I've realized that many seem to forget that, especially when they are judging from an outside perspective.
Pictured below, is me at my heaviest - to be exact, the day that I found it extremely difficult to walk for even 5 minutes without my ankles giving in- and then me, 2 years later, taking a selfie I never imagined I would be able to take.
The whole idea behind me starting this blog, was that, I found tremendous support and inspiration within my Instagram family and felt that, just as Instagram aided me, a blog would too.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am incredibly proud of myself and how far I have come, however, I feel that I am willing and able to achieve so much more. My current weight as it stands, is 73kg and my goal weight is 63kg. I have never been more determined than I am right now , to lose those 10 kilograms but as I have mentioned before, everything is so much more difficult when you're on your own - not that the people around me aren't supportive, its more that they don't know what I, myself am going through. ( Which is why I found so much support in posting on Instagram)
As a result, during 2017, my posts became sporadic as I found it difficult to find a balance between my academics and my gymming and my weight plateau'd. I became stressed out and eventually, I stopped posting all together.
But yo girl is back, feeling more determined than ever and thus, I realized that 2018 is the year for me to start taking charge of my health again and if that meant starting a blog, to help motivate myself, to help me see that beauty isn't about being skinny, to help me love myself and to help me keep track of how far I've come when I feel like all hope is lost, then so be it and If by any chance, I happen to give you inspiration , you dear reader, then that would be a bonus.
So here's to a lifestyle filled with happiness, cleaner, greener eating, self-love for dayssss, less cake, less negative thoughts and way more confidence than even Beyoncè could handle.