Before I started this challenge, I had endless thoughts about what it would be like to be skinnier, thinner, a size 8, or how I used to be. It never once occurred that I would still be ME if I ever lost weight and what those words even meant. I never thought I would go through a huge weight loss only to gain more than I had lost. What I lost was more than just 25 lbs. But I gained so much more.
Becoming a better woman:
I started to see through all walks of life, so many women struggle with their image. Young women face the issue of thinking they are "supposed" to be the sickly, skinny models in the media that we see. Working women face work/life balance challenges, and after working exhausting hours and not feeling well enough to get to the gym, then feel ashamed for the way they look. New mothers have had such a physical roller coaster and struggle to find the time to sleep, let alone getting active. And as women age it becomes nearly impossible to shed weight creating scary health issues with their bodies. As I was going through my challenge so many women came to me telling me about their own health crisis and I realized, we're all having a hard time. Being sensitive to these issues has helped me to understand the factors we face to stay healthy throughout our lives and I hope I can help other woman to accept that they alone are not a problem when it comes to their fitness and health. We live in a society that makes it very hard to take care of ourselves. I found personally, that when I stopped believing that I was the problem, but that I was the solution to combating work/life balance (it was the work/life part that was the problem) I started to do something about it.
Becoming a better wife-sister-daughter-friend:
In my marriage, I have found a wonderful partner who strongly believes that when we each take care of ourselves and love ourselves first, then second we can really truly love and take care of each other better. My husband and I have taken this spring to follow each of our own dreams. For me it was to finish this challenge and gain better self-esteem and for him is was moving to Whidbey Island, Seattle to follow his dreams of learning to farm. We have supported each other through these journeys, even if they have kept us apart. When I find him in the summer, as I move there with him, he will be half way through his schooling and after just two months, he is beaming with happiness. I too will glow with better esteem when we come together in Washington. And I will always remember that through the sacrifices we have made being apart, nothing can be more meaningful than supporting a spouse to take a risk for a chance at happiness. In this case I will always encourage him to love himself and he will do the same with me, I am sure. And in this same respect, I hope I have become a better sister, daughter, and friend in encouraging my friends and family to take care of themselves and love themselves and to know that I will do the same and love them back.
Becoming a better worker:
I can value the changes at work in the past couple months I have felt more confident in myself and thus been better at my job. Self-esteem boosts the ability to speak out, take risks, and to believe in yourself even in the work place. I have also found with working out, eating better, and sleeping more, I am more focused at work and just generally making fewer mistakes.
Becoming better at being me:
On top of all of the above, I have started to take care of my feelings & needs. After doing this challenge I feel like I can do anything. When you feel like you can do anything, then you feel like you don't have to do what you don't like. So I am taking a huge leap of faith in moving across country, going back to school for nutrition, moving to an outdoorsy area so I can find adventure, and moving to an island so I can have more quiet and focus on my needs. I won't accept a life that is so hard on me. I can't over work, under sleep, eat poorly, and live with stress. I have learned to take control of my life with this challenge. I have learned to LOVE ME!
So there you have it folks. Take care of yourselves. Love yourselves. Follow your dreams and your heart. You only get this life once!
Week 12: 175
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