My Journey to a Healthier Me

Growing up my sister and I took turns being out of shape and overweight. One year I was slim and she was the opposite, next year she was slim and I was far from it! For most of high school I was in great shape due to all of the cardio I was getting from having to catch the bus to-and-from school. Eventually the cons of having to ride public transportation in Detroit, and its surrounding cities, outweighed the pros… So I insisted on driving, and the WAIST was HISTORY.

 Yes I drove my waist away!!  Now of course I don’t attribute the disappearance of my waist solely to my new form of mobility…There were other factors that played a role in it.

At that time, I was an employee for a pretty unhealthy healthy restaurant, and I frequently ate there once or twice during a shift, not to mention dessert on a stressful day!! I would eat at fast food restaurants at all hours of the night. I never exercised, and even when I did I would reward myself with a NY Steak, loaded mashed potatoes, and dessert, so needless to say it was all in vain. As a result, I grew out of all the clothes that I once loved and splurged on, and was forced to give it to whom else but my sister, who of course was slim at the time!

Quite frankly I had the want without the drive. I wanted to look good in my clothes but not enough to do something about it. This went on for about a year until I began to try different ways to lose weight. I tried exercise stomach belts that contracted the muscles in my stomach, but all the while I was still eating unhealthy foods. I tried water pills and liquid laxatives, and lost some weight, but often experienced dehydration because I wasn’t replenishing the water I was losing. I looked into liposuction and quick fixes that didn’t result in lifestyle changes, so any results would’ve been short-lived.

My journey to become a healthier me began when my eyes were opened to the truth while taking a Nutrition course. If it wasn’t for this class I wouldn’t have known how unhealthy fast food restaurants are, or how to read nutritional guides and its importance, as well as the importance of counting calories, and knowing your BMI (Body Mass Index). As a result of taking this course I learned all of those things and more, so I began to apply them.

Instead of pricing liposuction on the internet I found out my recommended calorie intake in order to reach my goal weight. I began to count calories by reading the nutrition facts label. I began to drink a gallon of water a day and recording what I ate and how much water I drank. I planned out my meals so that I knew what & how much I was eating, and the time I was going to eat it.

Finally, I went walking 3-5 days out of the week and ultimately eliminated fast food from my diet. Then slowly but surely my waist began to come back around. However it took at least a year’s worth of lifestyle changes. I had to get motivated and stay motivated! During that year, and even now, I apply the same never-failing principles which will ultimately be the monthly tips that I will share to get you on, or keep you on your journey, to a healthier you!