When it comes to losing or maintaining my weight, I've tried just about every type of diet you can think of, from the lemon-cayenne cleanse (you know the one) to trying out vegan and vegetarian lifestyles.
No matter what I tried, I'd always find myself back at square one after two weeks, feeling completely frustrated. (Sidebar: I look back at old pictures of myself and question what I was even stressing about! Lol)
Real change didn’t happen overnight—it came when I finally slowed down and paid attention.
That's when I started to shift my focus from chasing the superficial goal of getting back to my high school weight to being super focused on genuinely caring for my well-being - at whatever cost.
I just wanted to feel good and have energy to enjoy the life I’d been working so hard to build.
The first thing I did was avoid the foods the experts tell us to stay away from, and I ended up with a very unique and specific diet that my family and friends still joke about today.
Then, the pandemic hit. Even though I thought I was doing everything right (i.e. eating clean and doing my cardio), my weight reached an all-time high.
I was over 200 pounds, struggling with sleep, and feeling discomfort in my body that I’d never experienced.
My doctor's advice? "You need to lose weight." It felt like a blow since I'd only been trying to do exactly that my entire adult life.
A nutritionist finally helped me see what I was missing: it wasn't just about losing weight or following a "healthy" diet. It was about understanding how my body reacted to different foods and finding what truly worked for me.
For instance, my diet at the time mainly consisted of lots of chickpeas and almond milk because I wasn't eating red meat or dairy - two things that made me sluggish. Even though legumes and nuts are healthy and great sources of nutrients, I discovered that alot of challenges I was experiencing was due to how my body breaks these type of foods. Uncomfortable bloating and an overwhelmed digestive system was the result.
I learned to choose foods that made me feel good, leading to not just weight loss but also a huge boost in energy and overall health. On top of that, the results from my last physical were way better compared to my pre-pandemic check-up.
This journey taught me that losing weight goes beyond dieting.
It's about adopting a mindset focused on making choices that align with your personal needs—whether it's in your diet or daily routine. Shedding the unnecessary weight, both on the scale and in our life, can absolutely change your life. I know it has for me.
What about you? Have you discovered foods or habits that were weighing you down? How did you adjust, and how did it turn out?
Talk to me in the comments below!