True Life: I've Got a Belly! (Part 1)
Foreword:
Yep. That’s right. You heard me. I’ve got a gut. A pooch. A “FUPA”. The kind that you can shape around your belly button to look like a doughnut. The kind that just no brand of high waisted spandex is strong enough to suck in. Yes….ME! The 30 year old Exercise Physiologist. The childhood athlete. The girl that posts her ripped abs on the beach. The girl that won multiple bikini competitions. The girl that teaches YOU how to eat properly. ME. I’ve got a belly! And I don’t even have children yet to blame it on! So I’m here to show it to you, with no regrets, in hopes that my rawness and my story empower YOU to change your life. To find your #balance, and live the absolute BEST life you possibly can.
Part 1:
On a daily basis, you meet people in passing everywhere you go. At the grocery store, the restaurants downtown, local festivals and events, etc. Some are people that you are delighted to meet for the first time, but for me, many are ones that I once knew, or previously trained. And whether they ask out of polite conversation or they are actually dying to know, their question is always “so what are you doing now?!?!”. And in answering this question, I NEVER know what to say, or how to even begin speaking to them after all of the things I have done and experienced in the last 8 years. But all the while, I find myself staring at them in sheer lack of confidence, pulling on my tank or sweater to make sure this “belly” of mine isn’t noticed. Because I am this “super human, educated and experienced exercise physiologist and bikini competitor” right?!?! WRONG.
So how did I get here? Well to be honest, I’ve been here before. A few times actually. In my young 30 years of age, I’ve taken on many feats, a few too risky and unstable that summed up to be “learning” experiences and a load of debt. Others, not so risky, but brought me to dark places knowing that I wasn’t doing what I was put on this earth to be doing. The common denominator of all of these experiences (and what partially makes me so good at what I do), was that I was not putting myself and my needs FIRST. I had gotten into a bad habit of putting on a “non human” appearance for those around me, and quietly struggling internally.
Recently, my career took a drastic turn. A turn that many would call “a turn for the worse”. But, with a ton of reading, therapy and practice over the years, I have learned that any situation is only as bad as your mind makes it out to be. I have decided to embrace this “turn” as an opportunity to concentrate on what matters most in life; ME! Despite my education, experience and credentials, I had not been living my life to its healthiest potential. Stress, excessive caffeine, lack of sleep, wine, and a completely unbalanced work-life relationship were all contributing factors to my lack of good health. So going back to that question that I never know how to answer. “What am I doing now??” I’m doing ME. Belly and all! I am embarking on my OWN personal journey to find #balance and I am excited to share my experiences with you in hopes that my failures and successes are empowering. Starting weight: 145.8 pounds.
