So, fit and fitness are so over-used and over-hyped these days. Everyone is a fitness guru. There are thousands of people on every social media channel who have a different perspective or plan or sometimes scheme. The truth of the matter is that we don’t all have the same metabolic makeup or health challenges, so differing methods of becoming a healthier person are actually necessary. There is no one size fits all plan that will work the same on everyone. Some plans are beneficial to nearly everyone, but there is that small percentage of people, no matter how large the success rate that a methodology does not apply to or work for.
Take me for instance. I have a couple of inherited traits disorders or traits that make it darn near impossible to shed a pound. One reason I struggle in the way that i do is because I got my thyroid removed 12 years ago. Do not ever listen to a doc or medical profession if they tell you that a pill can replace the effects of an organ or hormone. It just isn’t true. I was told that I would lose weight more easily and that after a few adjustments with the med dosage that I would be as good as new. That is complete bollox. This could be true, but trust me, the percentage of people who have success has to be very small.
I have read far too many forums and met with too many people in the herbal aisle or at a doctor’s appointment, or people whom I have known for years who have had an awful time since losing their thyroid or having partial removal. I don’t know what tiny sample of people scientists get their info from, but they must poll only like 5 people to come up with these fake figures in order to convey to those who take the meds how effective they are. Doctors and fellow thyroid affected folks ask me how I feel when I take this brand over that brand or if generic works better for me than the standard form of the med. And honestly, I can never tell a difference in fatigue level or weight loss.
So I have had to take matters into my own hands. I have done programs like 21 Day Fix, Fast Metabolism Diet and the old skool Body for Life. All of them are great. All of them are effective and they all involve eating 5 to 6 mini meals a day. They are not in any way fad diets, they just require a lot of meal prep, thoughtful shopping and the elimination of things that are not deemed a clean food item. I am currently on FMD because it has worked for me in the past. It is a pain in the butt and it cuts out a lot of foods. For instance: soy, dairy, alcohol, caffeine and gluten. But most other plans that talk about clean eating eliminate the same food groups.
In essence, once again I have had to advocate for my own health and well-being. Because in addition to this thyroid issue, I have another genetic metabolic issue which means that I cannot be stuck within the confines of traditional medicine in order to shed the pounds that I need to. And I have learned over this long and arduous journey since I was 15, that when doctors don’t know something, sometimes they try to blame the patient for lack of progress or act as if putting a band-aid on the bigger issues is the norm. As if wanting to actually explore possibilities as to why a health problem is occurring outside of their very narrow field of knowledge is an idiotic idea.
I have always equated being fit to being smaller. I used to watch the scale like a hawk, often times weighing myself multiple times per day. I have never been obese or considered large. But I am on the chubby side and it pisses me off. When I ate clean 90 percent of the time and walked 70 miles a week, the scale would hardly move. But after some time, I would notice that I looked better in different pieces of clothing and my body though not slender, looked more toned and less flabby. I through all of these plans, both eating and exercise have learned that reading constantly and keeping myself educated is the key to being fit. I may not be a size 4, but with what I put in my body and the lifestyle I lead, I should be.
For whatever reason, I was born with a metabolic disorder and then developed this thyroid issue after pregnancy. These issues are not as bad as what other health issues so many people battle with. But if I do not work at being healthy every waking minute, they can be serious. The disorder I have is like a cousin to diabetes so I pretty much have to watch every carb that I eat or eat gluten-free as I am doing now. So my fitness may not look like what other people’s look like. I may never be a single digit size and may always wear the largest size at White House Black Market. But trust me, it is not for lack of trying. I have spent an entire lifetime trying to accept myself as I am even though no one else thinks the way that I do.
Last night, ML told me that he loved my curves and how sexy I am and that if I never lost another pound he wouldn’t care. He also told me to stop being so critical of myself and realize that I am beautiful. He mentioned how many guys were interested in me when he first met me and that they wouldn’t have been chasing me if I was not beautiful or hot. But the first thing that came to my mind was that they were out for sex. He is right, I have got to stop letting the fact that i am not the ideal size get to me. I am healthy and working out more and trying to get back to where i was with my regimen 2 years ago. If I wasn’t doing something about it, it would be a different story.
I do have to realize that the progress that I make and have made are good for all that is going on with my body. I know that, and my doctor tells me that tests don’t lie. That if I was lying about what I eat that it would show up in the tests and they only show good and healthy levels and I have the blood pressure of a runner (98/65). I just have to work on the mental fitness part. Because I am playing the part, but just don’t feel like I look like it. I and many people who are a size 10, 12 or 14 have to realize that we are actually the norm and that we will probably never have bodies like those on magazines, and that fitness is not measured only by weight.
Living fit and clean is so much more than what is on the outside. It’s not only what we put into our bodies and how much we move our bodies. But it is also a state of mind and how we feel about ourselves and what we tell ourselves when we look in the mirror. Thank God that I have loved ones who see me for the beauty that I am and that they don’t allow me to promote this negative self talk that I have been battling with as long as I can remember. That support and love is probably just as good for my health as any herbal remedy, organic food or fitness plan that I partake in.
simply~
Simply Dee in D.C. 