My Fitness Story

If you have heard my story, you would know that I have battled with being overweight most of my life. In my early teens, I suffered from an eating disorder - 'anorexia nervosa' due to unhealthy eating patterns. I was so obsessed with my looks and wanted to be slim like other girls of my age. With a genetic make-up of being on the large side, body-shaming by peers didn’t help matters hence the desperation to be slim at all costs. I even resorted to abusing laxatives just to stay slim. I got so weak most times because I would lose so much fluid and electrolytes to the extent of being unable to carry out daily chores and suffered from extreme physical and even mental fatigue. Whenever I felt weak, rather than fueling my body with food, I would hop into the bathroom to take a bath because that made me feel kind of refreshed and gave me a temporary boost of energy hence I took several baths each day. The worst part was the mental fatigue I felt most times and in no time, my academic performance was on a downward spiral. 

Even after weight loss, I never felt good enough for myself hence I avoided taking photos and attending social events. I don’t have photos of my secondary days and 32 years later, it does hurt to know how ignorance made me miss out on the critical elements of my teenagehood. So sad, I sabotaged my emotional, psychological and physical health on the altar of weight loss and looking a certain way dictated by society. There was not much awareness and information at the time, so I continued my unhealthy eating habits for many years. Although my family and a few friends knew about my quest for weight loss and all the crazy things I was doing at the time, enough was not done to proffer solutions. They concluded I would outgrow it while I continued from one fad diet to another and the more I tried the more I failed to achieve success in my desire for sustainable weight loss.

It was not until almost 10 years ago, 3 months to my 40th birthday, that I began thinking about fitness and wellness rather than just weight loss. At this time, so much damage had been done to my metabolism and losing weight was even harder. Raising two young sons involved a lot of activities and food could not be avoided as in my teenage years so the weight just kept piling up. I was weighing 86kg at the time and I was so unfit that I could hardly climb the stairs. My blood pressure was climbing and the numbers indicated I was already hypertensive with obvious symptoms of a pre-diabetic. The enamel in some of my teeth had been eroded due to repeated cycles of fad diets. With the twists and turns of life, I had so much to deal with and I knew I had to take action if I wanted to live longer to take care of my sons and live life to the fullest. 

With access to the Internet, I began researching and found that a lifestyle of regular exercising and healthy nutrition was the way to go. Healthy nutrition was not easy at first but the lifestyle change I made in 2013 was to eliminate sodas and sugary drinks and started doing fresh fruits and water. I also began regular exercising with just brisk walking around my neighbourhood 6 times a week and played badminton with my sons every Saturday and during the week when our schedules allowed it. I continued exercising consistently and loving and enjoying every bit of it. As the months went by, I noticed I felt good about myself and highly motivated. Exercise was no longer this horrible price I had to pay for the body I thought I wanted. It was now more about the way I felt afterwards; happy, energised and strong.

One thing that stood out in my fitness journey was how regular exercising helped me combat depression and anxiety and made me a happier, more confident woman. Initially, I did not realize that this feeling was a consequence of regular exercise until I stumbled into an article on how exercise helps our mood by releasing the 'feel-good' chemicals - endorphins. This was a game-changer. It was no longer about weight loss; it was about my health, my fitness, my happiness, overall well-being and the many benefits of exercise that are not weight loss. It marked a turnaround in my life and became the key to making exercising a lifestyle. It's been 10 years since I started my fitness journey and I am thankful for the benefits of exercising and healthy nutrition. Today, I am a fit, strong and more confident woman, ready to do all that God has called me to do. 

My advice: Embrace who you are; you are much more than the number on the scale. Opt for consistency over perfection. Let the 'why' of your fitness goal be for a higher purpose. Embrace all the many benefits of exercising that are not weight loss and finally, let fitness and wellness be a life-long commitment and lifestyle.