It all started when I was in 5th grade and someone looked me up & down and then said to my face, "You're fat." It was then I started paying more attention to how I thought I looked and what others would think when they saw me. Middle school was torturous, as I struggled with so called "baby fat" and being bullied by my peers. The hardest part was being part of the so called "popular kids" or as some parents called us "the elite eight". Every pool party I would feel self conscious as all my friends were in bikinis and I was in my tankini.
Being a young teenager is hard enough but when you have no self love, the mirror is the devil and having your photo taking is the last thing you want. Freshman year was when I hit rock bottom. I thought that the only way to lose my weight was to eat goldfish for lunch and barely anything for dinner. I created an image in my mind that made an excuse for every awful thing I was doing to my body. I worked out but most of the time I couldn't because I didn't have the energy for it. Seeing little results, I decided to become vegan in the summer going into sophomore year.
his is the main reason why I am doing what I am doing now: I fell apart and lost myself that summer. Salad and fruit was the only thing I ate. No protein which showed in my hair, my legs, and my stomach. I lost thirty pounds that summer which is what I wanted to lose, but I know I did not do it in the correct way. I ran two or three miles a day and starved myself without realizing it. I enclosed myself from my family and even some of my friends. The person who truly saved me from this roller coaster is my sister. She taught me how to eat without being scared and how to workout in a healthy way. Brooke taught me that food is not our enemy if we eat right and get all of the nutrients that we need.
After I started eating right and doing what I needed to do to be happy, It opened my eyes up and I noticed more things that I have never noticed before. The important thing about Self Love is also being around people who love you for who you are. I spaced myself away from people and found people who bring out the best in me. When I did this, I started to fall in love with who I am as a person and I started doing what I love more: Working Out. Through out this journey I will post my easy and effective workouts that will help you learn how to love yourself and others more!