Goodevening DietBetters!!!
I'm on a mission once again! Weighed in today with full body photo and weight scale pictures and was faced with the reality of what I have become yet again. Pictures truly deliver a hard punch and force the viewer to see things as they truly are. A picture has the ability to send a clear message about how you really look. Even standing in front of a mirror does not provide that fatal blow. Seven years ago, January of 2009 to be exact, was when a picture taken at a Christmas party really hit hard. Todays picture had the same affect. I have let myself go and I have been allowing myself to ignore the true reality of what I had been allowing to happen. In November of 2009 I reached my healthy goal weight and stayed reasonably close to that number for roughly 3 years. Unfortunately, for the last 4 years I slowly excepted more and more weight back onto my body. Allowing myself to dismiss the overeating as acceptable due to stress. That denial piled 35 lbs back onto this body, which led to the unfolding of another health issue. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis back in 2007. I had only had one flare up at the very beginning of my diagnosis and through diet, exercise and continued treatment of daily medication I got the disease under control. I had it literally laying dorment for many years. I was strong, healthy and regularly active. I believe due to my prolonged, unhealthy choices, along with a decision to dismiss my meds I ended up with my 2nd flare up. It was quite painful and several of my joints were very inflammed and swollen. The flare up prevented any activity for a LONG 3 months. It has been a month now where I have the disease under control again. This experience has forced me to realize once again that I can not afford to allow myself to abuse my body. My family doctor said to me once, "IF YOU EAT SHIT, YOU ARE SHIT!!!" I have never forgotten that comment. There is much truth to that comment and you can't help but laugh at the delivery in which my doctor chose to express his thoughts. Regular healthy eating and exercise is crucial to my day to day health and ignoring those lifestyle choices is basically, ME, allowing the disease the opportunity to take control. All and all, I'm once again on a journey to a better me and I'm very excited to share it with others looking to follow that same path. Come step out on that ledge with me, search and find that person that you know is inside you. I'm on the lookout and I know that the strong, healthy person that I know I am isn't hiding all that good and I will hunt her down and drag her out. HAPPY HUNTING!!!!