A month ago, when picking out an outfit to wear for Diwali, I broke down because I couldn’t fit into a few outfits which fit me perfectly a year ago. I had tried them on in the evening, which was a big mistake because I had just finished my meals for the day. (When you do intermittent fasting, because you eat a whole day’s food in a small time frame, your body ends up getting bloated really fast. That bloating goes away in a few hours.) I cried for nearly an hour, upset about how I let myself gain so much weight again.
A close friend of mine calmed me down, advising me to look at the bigger picture -- it is because of the stress I faced in the past year that I gained so much weight, but that stress also made me decide to shift jobs, landing myself a role that supported work-life balance.
The best part is that when I tried on the outfit the next morning, it fit me perfectly. It was definitely tighter than it was last year, but it fit! The night before I was criticizing myself, but the next day I got so many compliments about how nice I looked. Goes to show that our greatest battles are fought within our minds.
Just like in 2018 (when I lost 40 pounds), one of my lowest points this year was when a few outfits never fit me. However, I now realize that if I keep crying over having put on 20 pounds since 2018, but I don’t show myself at least a little kindness for all that I’ve been through during the past few years, then what is the point of living?
As I had written in a post titled 'Do You Feel Inadequate?', the next time you’re hard on yourself, remember how far you’ve come. Make a list of all that you’ve gone through and all that you’ve achieved, and learn to be proud of yourself.
Practice those habits!
I cried last month not only because I put on weight, I cried because since a year I hadn’t been practicing the habits that made me fit and healthy – exercising, avoiding junk food, meditating.
And this last month I’ve started practicing those habits once again. How do I feel today? Amazing! Amazing because I’ve started loving myself and my body once again, as a result of eating healthy, exercising regularly and meditating daily.
You can check out these posts of mine to help you start your journey to a healthier body and mind:
Sometimes we dedicate our entire lives to a superficial goal, that we forget to live. Weight loss is one of those superficial goals. We get so affected by what Society says we should look like, that we end up hating ourselves to try and fit in.
To quote YouTuber Stephanie Lange, "We are built differently for a reason. We literally have different skeletal structures. We are not made to be clones. You could eat the most restrictive diet and kill yourself in the gym, and you still won't be able to grow or shrink your bones."
Having a healthy body and mind is the goal we should all be aiming to achieve, and that all starts with a little kindness -- a little kindness towards oneself and complete acceptance. Because if you do not accept and love yourself for who you are, warts and all, you will never be able to become a better version of yourself.
A small rant: Be kind to others!!
Dear men and women who love to constantly point out to others that they’ve gained weight – please stop! Your remark will not make the person run to get a gym membership, but will most likely make them hate their body and reach for the nearest sugary treat to help ease their anxiety.
Most people are aware that they’ve put on weight, and pointing it out to them isn’t going to help! *eye roll* Before you criticize someone, be empathetic. Trust me, being kind doesn't hurt!
Thank you for reading! Stay blessed!
©TheKindTempest