It has recently been brought to my attention that someone had questioned "If that 'stuff' works, then why are 'they' still fat?" This person was referring to Shakeology and BB programs in relation to myself, and a few others, but I do believe they were truly trying to avoid singling me out. So kind. Alas, I knew the day would come when someone compared my middle to someone else's end.
So here is what I have to say about it:
1) What this person may not know is that I have multiple medical issues that compromise my ability to shed pounds and keep them off.
2) What this person may not understand is that my PCOS (hormone disorder) and my Thyroid (slowly dying) causes my body to fight me every step of the way, making it exponentially harder for me then for someone without these issues to just "lose weight" and not be "fat". Their words, not mine.
3) They may not know that at 16 years old I was told I would have to shoot myself with hormones to sustain any miracle pregnancy, if I could have one at all, and those hormones added weight on faster then anything I've ever seen, all for the life of my children. That I FOUGHT to have those babies and my body, it's "condition" and NOT getting "fat" weren't important. The life of my unborn child trumped EVERYTHING.
4) They may not know that at 16 years old I was also diagnosed with a malformation in my hips that WOULD 100% cause me to be wheel chair bound or have replacement surgery in my later years. That hip problem causes me pain frequently. But I fight through it.
5) They may not know that this past January I detoxed off of a very dangerous and serious postpartum medication. That I was forced to be on for 2 years b/c the Dr's didn't want me to go through such a serious withdrawal with a spouse that had the potential to leave at any time. That I laid in a bed dialing 911 because my husband was at work and I couldn't physically care for my own children. Shaking, vomiting and dizzy. Ready to call an ambulance from the severe withdrawal symptoms that I can only imagine would be much like that of a street drug user coming clean…and had two small children to take care of. That this alone set me back. Don't believe me, GOOGLE Effexir XR withdrawal. I had every symptom, and it was scary.
6) What they may not know is that I've laid on the floor crying, as I made my way through some workouts b/c I PROMISED my Coach, my Teammates and my Clients that I would be right there with them. I refused to let them all down.
7) That Shakeology has made such a HUGE difference in my life and the life of my children, not just b/c of weight, but overall it was the catalyst we needed to show us a healthier lifestyle. To transition us into eating better and learning about a better way to feed our bodies.
8) That they should look at the picture below. The one where my own child didn't recognize me. The one where my grown friend didn't recognize me, and would have had no idea it was even me if I didn't tell him. That one where I started... where I will NEVER EVER go back to. Whether my body fights me or not. I will fight back. I will choose better foods to feed my body. I will choose to MOVE and keep my body ever improving.
9) But most importantly I would LOVE to tell this person THANK YOU. It was your ignorance of my life, and my triumphs, that allowed me the thought process to even realize how much MORE amazing my journey has been. How sometimes we can even impress ourselves with the dedication, commitment and drive we find deep in our souls when we truly get the leverage we need to make the change.
10) Thank You person. Though I know you, I will NEVER EVER name you publicly…but my questions for you would be: What's your excuse? Where's your leverage? Then I'd tell you to BRING IT.
