I have been active since I can remember. Skiing in Colorado by the age of five, basketball and softball since six, then becoming a full time cross country and track runner in high school. I was always on the move. The thought of "watching what I eat" was something of a distant whisper only noted in fashion magazines and exclusive gym VIP rooms. In other words, I ate what I wanted with out a care because I knew I'd burn it off the next day.
(seconds on icecream... yes those are m&m's)
(seconds on icecream... yes those are m&m's)
Then college came, and after a semester on the track team building muscle like a machine, I gained 15 pounds. When I went home for Christmas break, I heard wonderful comments from my family including, "Goodness, you got some muscle on you," "Where did my tiny Maxann go?" and my personal favorite, "I thought you were running track, not playing football!" It's true, my neck was thicker than a big rig wheel and I could bench press my own weight.
Unfortunately, when I returned to training come January, previous issues with scoliosis interfered with my field events and I had to quit the team. Over the next few months, I couldn't lift nor could I run or do much cardio. So sure, that muscle faded, but i didn't loose the weight. It melted into flabby, unneeded weight from food-therapy. April came and my back healed, allowing me to walk and do light cardio. I shed some weight and in attempts to try to loose the pounds, I also gave up about 1/3 of my intake of food. I was indeed desperate.
When summer came and I took a trip to Alaska, I found myself on the first night in the gym, ellipticalling and overlooking the beautiful sunset over the Alaskan pines on shore (Sunset was at 11pm, sunrise at 4am) I felt great... for 15 minutes. It was then I realized that I wasn't healthy, I was just wasting away. I may have shed the freshman 15, but I also lost my ability to do something I loved- stay active. We also took a free metabolism test that came complimentary if you used the gym more than three days in a row- my metabolism had dropped to only burning 1050 calories a day (without exercise). The gym official (and myself) were stunned. When I explained my diet, he reminded me- your body needs more fuel to re-learn how to burn it. It then hit me- I had sabotaged my metabolism.
This post is to remind ladies that "weight" is not the issue. It never should be. It should be about "health" and how you feel. After this wakeup call, I started doing activities I loved-dancing, running, and yoga. I started to watch what I ate (with wiggle room for treats now and then) but never held back when I knew I should eat or if my stomach reminded me that I was indeed hungry. For anyone who made a resolution to lose weight, do it to become healthy, not just for the numbers on the scale. And find happiness along the way, because HOW you FEEL is ultimately more important than HOW you LOOK
No comments:
Post a Comment