6 years on SparkPeople - A retrospective.

I realized today that it will shortly be 6 years since I joined SparkPeople. A lot has happened. I started it with the goal of starting my thirties feeling fit, fabulous and confident. How do I feel now that I'm in my mid-thirties?

Well, if I were to judge by my stats over the last 6 years. You could say that I failed... miserably.



Over the last 6 years, I reached my goal twice and am now starting all over again. But strangely enough, I don't feel like I've failed. Yes, I look at the scale and feel sad about the number I see. But I also see how far I've come. I can honestly say that I can feel confident despite the number on the scale. I understand the reason why I'm at this point. I had a work accident that burnt my foot to the bone. I was unable to wear shoes or walk for 3 months. I went from walking 8-10km a day to hopping/limping from the bed to the sofa. Since it has healed, I've had many problems with my feet, making strenuous exercise painful. But I also know how to get back to where I was.

I no longer view eating healthy as restrictive. I've seen what a poor diet does to my health and I remember how I felt when I ate well. I appreciate how I feel after working out. Granted, I sometimes need to give myself a stern talk to get exercising but the feeling of wellness and accomplishment afterwards is so worth it.

For the last two years, I was in an increasingly extremely stressful job, working 7 days a week, sometimes for 17-18 hours. I saw what it has done to me emotionally and physically. I am proud to say that I have taken back control of my life and quit my job. How could I do that? Because I have learnt in the last 6 years that I deserve better. I deserve a healthy work environment. I deserve a healthy lifestyle.

I am no longer working out and eating well to hit a goal by a certain date or for a special occasion. I am exercising regularly and eating well because I feel damn good when I do! If I lose weight while I do this, great. But I am not doing this for the number on my scale but to be the strong person that I know I am!




Hiking in Iceland, Sept 2016