I Know You Mean Well...

‘You look great’

‘You look so much skinnier’

‘You look so much healthier’

‘You look so much happier’

‘Are you feeling okay’

‘Are you sick’

‘What are you doing to lose weight’

I have literally heard it all. The good, the bad, and the very ugly. And surprisingly enough, it is coming from people who are closest to me. They do not realize it is hurtful. They think they are complimenting me on an enormous weight loss. But in my anxiety ridden mind it is quite different.

In the mind of someone who has anxiety the first thing we think of when we hear these sayings; ‘Man, how horrible did I look before’! We legitimately are reevaluating how we looked, how we presented ourselves, how we smelled, how we were perceived to all those around us. Does everyone think the same thing here?! My mind races a million miles.

I know that none of these people that say this to me mean it in any sort of negative way. However, that is just where my brain goes. Granted, I have lost a large amount of weight. Nearly 100 pounds ago I could barely walk around the warehouse where I work. Now I do laps just to keep my step count as close to 10K a day as possible!

When I began being serious about losing weight, I started small. I first started with my food intake. I stopped eating meat. I stopped eating pork first, then beef, then poultry and fish. Now, I do not eat meat at all. aAnd quite frankly I do not miss it one single bit. I have gone so long without meat; my body would probably get angry at me if I ate it now.

Next, was what I drank. I stopped all the soda and tea. I still drink my coffee in the morning; but I have cut that back tremendously as well. I make sure I drink 96 ounces of water a day. Nowadays there is an app for everything, and this is no different for water intake. I use an app on my phone to track how much water I drink and when I hit my goal. It truly is the small victories in life that make me smile.

Lastly, and quite frankly, the most important in my opinion was upping my activity. I have a watch that I wear that tracks my step count. I have a goal of 10K steps a day and I generally do not stop for the day until I have reached that goal. It helps that I have a dog who loves going on walks. So, every morning and evening we go on a long walk. I can now do laps at my warehouse as well, so that certainly helps.

These three little steps seem like they are insignificant; however, to me they have been a literal life saver. I am a firm believer that due to my significant weight loss I have extended my life. I was on insulin for diabetes as well as a medicine for cholesterol. Not anymore. I do not take any prescribed medications any longer. I take vitamins that are purchased from Amazon. Even my doctor knows now when I go for my checkups not to talk about insulin because I am not doing that. She is very supportive of my weight loss and controlling my health by continuing to lose.

I know it is inevitable for people to comment on my weight loss; I just wish they would think about how they do it. Think of the words before they say them. There is nothing wrong with me, I am not sick, I am not starving myself. I am just taking my health and well-being very seriously now. I guess people are just not used to it yet.

Until Next Time; Kristina