Besides my chubby baby days, I was considered small my entire life. Not unhealthily small, just naturally thin. I never paid attention to what I ate because I never had to. I would eat the dinners my mom made for me, snack on whatever was in the pantry, and eat any fast food I wanted. Doing that, I managed to stay under or around 120 pounds, which was the appropriate weight for a five foot, five inches tall female. Not a worry in the world when it came to my health or weight. Then, college came. And let me tell you, the Freshman 15 is real. In my case, it was the Freshman 15, then the Sophomore 20. Now, after my third year of college, I’ve basically lost track of the amount of weight I gained because I stopped looking in the mirror and stepping on a scale. Overall, I gained over 40 pounds from going to college and not paying attention to my health. This was devastating for me. This was not something I ever envisioned or knew how to control. I felt stuck. Just recently I started to love my body again even if it wasn’t what it looked like four years ago. I truly learned that the number on the scale doesn’t define who you are. I love my college experience so far and I’m not letting my weight drag me down. Now, as I journey into the health and fitness world, finally getting my weight under control, I’m ready to share my story. I want you to know that gaining this weight actually taught me some valuable lessons. This is proof that good things arise from bad situations.
1. How to be healthy.
When I was in high school, I didn’t know a thing about being healthy. I ran cross-country and track because it was something to do and the only sport I was decent at. Back then I had a fast metabolism so I could as much McDonald’s as I wanted without gaining a pound. So if I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, why would I follow healthy eating habits or workouts? It was an “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” sort of thing for me. It wasn’t until after my first year of college that I realized I needed to make healthier living decisions. And I honestly tried but sticking to healthy eating with an unlimited dining hall plan and a year of bad habits did not help. I’m not making excuses for my actions but not knowing anything about being healthy prior to college left me clueless, which led to more poor decisions. However, over the past two years, I’ve done a lot of research about what to eat and how to workout to lose weight. Even if I wasn’t following it like I was supposed to, I was learning. Becoming overweight forced me to learn about nutrition and exercise. I know more about health being overweight than I did when I was healthier. I’m proud to say that after reading about numerous fad diets (whether they are successful or not), taking a nutrition class, and watching hours of YouTube videos, I have enough knowledge and motivation to stay on track.
2. Surround yourself with loving, supportive, and positive people.
The amazing people in my life are the reason my happiness is unwavering today. My boyfriend of five years fell in love with me as the skinny girl but never stopped loving me as the girl who became overweight in college. He has never once hesitated or skipped a beat when calling me beautiful. It was as if my body never changed. My best friend from high school experienced a lot of the same weight struggles as I did. She has read every health article I’ve sent her, researched even more to help us, and vowed to try every crazy diet I have. She has been my biggest supporter and motivator. Then, there’s my best friend from college. She never knew me as the skinny girl but has seen pictures. She always told me I was beautiful the way I was. She actually complimented my current body saying that it looks healthier than my skinny body. She is the definition of a kind soul. The list goes on and on but these three were my rocks. Thank you for your endless love and support. My wish is for everyone to develop the same bonds I have because those people will stand by you when you need it most.
3. Beauty comes from within.
I joke around to my college friends that I was a bitch in high school. They never believe me but ask anyone I knew in high school and they will tell you that I didn’t know when to keep my mouth shut. Thank goodness I matured in college. My body may have been changing for the worst on the outside but I was simultaneously blooming into a better person on the inside. Despite my weight gain, I am in love with the person I am today.
4. Don’t let other people bring you down.
As much as I’m a social media addict, I’ve learned it has its negative effects as well. Following fitness Instagram's isn’t always motivating but sometimes self-destructive. I’ve had to learn to stop comparing myself to my old body and skinny strangers’ bodies. This is the body I have now and I have to embrace it. Also, there are unfortunately going to be people, possibly even some of your loved ones, that bring up your weight so often that they make you feel like crap about it. Shrug it off! This is your life and you’re free to do whatever you want with it. Lose weight for yourself, not for those negative people. It took me three years to decide that losing weight was what I wanted and I wasn’t going to do it just because other people wanted me to. Simply, cut out the people who aren’t pulling you up but dragging you down.
5. Love yourself.
This is the hardest part but the most rewarding. I actually had to love my new, overweight body before trying to lose weight. Hating myself for the poor decisions I made and for all the “what if’s” tore me down to the core. And then, I’d just want to eat more. I had to learn how to break the cycle. That happened when I looked at myself in the mirror and said, “be proud of how much you’ve accomplished and the good person you’ve become.” I love myself because I’ve had valuable experiences in college and because I’ve become kinder, patient, and open-minded. My life and I have changed immensely since I’ve gained weight and I wouldn’t ever trade any of those good things for my old body.
I’m going to leave you with my favorite quote, which gets me through every day: “She believed she could, so she did –R.S Grey.” The first step to achieving a goal is believing that you can do it. The main reason I haven’t prioritized my weight until now is because I had other goals at the top of my list and I didn’t love myself enough to make weight loss one of those goals. Remember to always praise yourself for the good things you’re doing and reflect less on the negative things. Be proud of yourself, always. I’m living proof that good things are coming your way even if you have to go through hell to get them.
