December 24, 2013
The Warrior Within
The other day while looking through my house (I just recently moved), I found a new picture. It was a new "old" picture of the time when I was the chubby seventeen year old. I was reminded of my assumptions...
I would forever be the chubby girl.
[caption id="attachment_32862" align="alignnone" width="500"]
My mom and I when I was in high school.[/caption]
In fact, I was convinced that this was the life for me.
I mean, I couldn't say no to a Snickers Bar. From the moment that I could drive a car, I had an indelible need to stop at McDonald's, Taco Bell, or even go to a damn restaurant and get a pizza (by myself). My parent's divorce my senior year and the death of a loved had made it worse. When sad--insert fork in mouth.
My mother who had always been my sidekick in eating, was suddenly dropping weight...and she wasn't doing it the right way...she just wasn't eating.
I felt happier when I had food in my mouth...waffles and ice-cream for breakfast? Yep, sign me up for that!
It was in my blood, my genes, and my history to have no idea how to eat right and my weight easily climbed the scale. Frankly, I knew I was destined for a life of obesity just as my mother and great grandmother.
Then something clicked, and I started losing weight, and it was the strangest thing. My journey took on a life of its own. I didn't know what to do or where to start, but I bumbled my way through a sea of trial and error, and somehow found an ability to fight.
Somewhere deep within me was a warrior that I didn't know I had.
That's why my weight loss journey is speckled with ups and downs, joy and tears...
but ultimately my journey has become about the training of warrior.
There are so many battles out there...
A battle to keep balance and not allow extremes to win. (I have two little girls...who needs extremes...and who wants to keep them up anyway?)
A battle to love yourself regardless of where you are on the scale. (LOVE yourself NOW, not later!)
A battle to stick with a workout routine whether I feel like it or not. (I can do this weekly...daily! even.)
A battle to say no to overindulgence of food, but also live. (How do I not eat the entire family sized M&M's bag!? $%@&)
When I am weak, I don't want to do any of these things. But when I am strong--when I feel like a warrior--then I stop giving excuses, let go of the idea that life is unfair because I've had to battle for so long, and I simply say, "This is what I want...get to it."
I have my weak moments where I forget that I have a warrior within. I sometimes (many times) start to deteriorate into the weak girl and it's usually when I question, "Why me?"
The one thing I tell most of my clients...that in order to lose the weight, you have to do these things:
Get feisty. For me, the "feisty" doesn't come easily...but when I have to, I now know there is no other option, feisty works. (like flipping off my workout...then killing it)
Be strategic. You have a goal...get to it...plot it out...set yourself up for success--not failure. Plan a lot of mini goals to reach before the ultimate end goal.
Have grace. When you fall...get the hell back up. Don't punish yourself for days.
I have a tattoo on my forearm that says, "Minute by minute, never give up."
Every one has a warrior within. Everyone.
Even when you think it's impossible...because I totally get it...I thought it was impossible.
Find the warrior. Get feisty. Get strategic. And kill it.
You got this.
XO,
Tessa
My mom and I when I was in high school.[/caption]
In fact, I was convinced that this was the life for me.
I mean, I couldn't say no to a Snickers Bar. From the moment that I could drive a car, I had an indelible need to stop at McDonald's, Taco Bell, or even go to a damn restaurant and get a pizza (by myself). My parent's divorce my senior year and the death of a loved had made it worse. When sad--insert fork in mouth.
My mother who had always been my sidekick in eating, was suddenly dropping weight...and she wasn't doing it the right way...she just wasn't eating.
I felt happier when I had food in my mouth...waffles and ice-cream for breakfast? Yep, sign me up for that!
It was in my blood, my genes, and my history to have no idea how to eat right and my weight easily climbed the scale. Frankly, I knew I was destined for a life of obesity just as my mother and great grandmother.
Then something clicked, and I started losing weight, and it was the strangest thing. My journey took on a life of its own. I didn't know what to do or where to start, but I bumbled my way through a sea of trial and error, and somehow found an ability to fight.
Somewhere deep within me was a warrior that I didn't know I had.
That's why my weight loss journey is speckled with ups and downs, joy and tears...
but ultimately my journey has become about the training of warrior.
There are so many battles out there...
A battle to keep balance and not allow extremes to win. (I have two little girls...who needs extremes...and who wants to keep them up anyway?)
A battle to love yourself regardless of where you are on the scale. (LOVE yourself NOW, not later!)
A battle to stick with a workout routine whether I feel like it or not. (I can do this weekly...daily! even.)
A battle to say no to overindulgence of food, but also live. (How do I not eat the entire family sized M&M's bag!? $%@&)
When I am weak, I don't want to do any of these things. But when I am strong--when I feel like a warrior--then I stop giving excuses, let go of the idea that life is unfair because I've had to battle for so long, and I simply say, "This is what I want...get to it."
I have my weak moments where I forget that I have a warrior within. I sometimes (many times) start to deteriorate into the weak girl and it's usually when I question, "Why me?"
The one thing I tell most of my clients...that in order to lose the weight, you have to do these things:
Get feisty. For me, the "feisty" doesn't come easily...but when I have to, I now know there is no other option, feisty works. (like flipping off my workout...then killing it)
Be strategic. You have a goal...get to it...plot it out...set yourself up for success--not failure. Plan a lot of mini goals to reach before the ultimate end goal.
Have grace. When you fall...get the hell back up. Don't punish yourself for days.
I have a tattoo on my forearm that says, "Minute by minute, never give up."
Every one has a warrior within. Everyone.
Even when you think it's impossible...because I totally get it...I thought it was impossible.
Find the warrior. Get feisty. Get strategic. And kill it.
You got this.
XO,
Tessa
