Since I was young I have had a complicated relationship with my body. It became a routine to look in the mirror and wish to see a body that was not mine. No matter how I changed and evolved from infant to child to teenager, I never felt comfortable in my skin.
As a child, I remember my grandfather affectionately calling me “chicken bone” referring to my thin build. Soon after I began treatment with vitamins to gain weight and as the months passed I began to experience the first significant evolution in the shape of my body.
Puberty hit and with it a whole new set of changes in my body. I had my first encounter with heartbreak when my crush rejected me for being chubby. Chicken bone was dead.
My weight fluctuated from my teens to adulthood and I always struggled to have a healthy relationship with my body. Extreme diets, eating disorders, stress and excessive exercise led me to suffer from a pseudo-paralysis on the left side of my body. That left me hospitalized in the ER at 18.
In 2019 I had my first official breakdown of adulthood. It was a tough year for me, professionally, emotionally and physically. But it was also the year when I made the conscious decision to work on my relationship with myself, inside and out.
Not all things work the same way for everyone. These were small changes that I made that allowed me to heal and improve my relationship with myself. Don’t get me wrong, I still have bad days where I don’t like my body. But now, I don’t punish myself. I let myself have all the feels while remembering that my body is the least interesting thing about me and my weight doesn’t define my value.
There is nothing more important than feeling at peace with our soul, being happy and feeling grateful to live in the body we have.
Going to Therapy
I cannot put into words the way that therapy saved my life and how important it is to have a space where we can say our biggest fears and difficulties out loud without being judged.
Life puts us in situations that deeply affect our spirit, for better or worse. These moments will set the course of who we will become in the future and we have to work on growing, maturing and dealing with past traumas to be the best versions of ourselves.
Why are we so diligent in going to the doctor when our body hurts but we’re ashamed of asking for help if what's broken is our spirit?
Our brain is an organ like any other. It can get sick, suffer from imbalances, and make it difficult for us to do things as simple as getting out of bed and going to work. In my case, my mental health affected my job performance, my state of mind, my relationships with the people I love, and even my relationship with my body.
Making my mental health a priority was a decision that positively affected the last few years of my life and has helped me heal from the inside out.
Conocí a Jacqui Kingswell y The Pilates Class gracias a las creadoras de Monday Swimwear, Natasha Oakley y Devin Brugman.
These two girls have AMAZING bodies and they both did this pilates program. I decided to sign up for the free trial and after it ended, I honestly couldn’t stop. I loved it.
One of my favourite things about TPC is the layout of its website. You can find different sections depending on what part of the body you want to focus on or intensity levels like chill, satisfying or intense. They even have pre and postnatal flows for moms looking to relax or feel energized.
I started doing it religiously 4-5 times a week and have never looked or felt better. Beyond the effect of weight loss; my posture is better, my digestion improved and the truth is, it’s a workout that I actually enjoy.
The most important thing about working out is finding something that you enjoy doing. It’s the only way you’ll be able to be consistent about it. It could be swimming, running, dancing or even taking a pole dance class (this one is on my bucket list🤭) The possibilities are endless!
I promise you, it will make all the difference. Not just in the way you look, but in the way you feel.
Mindful Eating
Por mucho tiempo tuve una relación complicada con la comida. Pasé de amarla, a tenerle miedo y privarme de ella. Uno de los cambios más significativos que he hecho en mi vida adulta es buscar maneras de comer de una manera más consciente e intuitiva. Comer alimentos menos procesados, buscar recetas que me gusten y hacer una versión alternativa con ingredientes más saludables.
Estos fueron los 4 ajustes más importantes que hice en mi alimentación:
1. Portion Control
At some point, I started to notice my serving size got bigger. I lost track of my portions and was over-eating. Adjusting my portions has allowed me to include different foods in the same meal, prioritizing veggies and healthy fats.
Since doing this, I not only enjoy my meals more but also feel lighter and have more energy throughout the day.
2. Eating Less Red Meat
Almost a year ago I made the decision to reduce my intake of red meat for various reasons. Meat is rarely present in my thoughts for our week’s meal prep unless my husband asks me for a specific meaty dish. But honestly, it’s not that common in our household.
After reading ‘Eat Right for Your Type’ by Dr. Naturopath Peter J. D’Adamo I knew that cutting meat out of my diet was essential.
The book talks about how our body’s response toward food is related to our blood type 🤯. This means that there are certain foods that will benefit our body the most, that we will digest better and others that we should avoid to promote better digestion and overall health.
The book is really interesting and it made me question many of my eating habits. If you want to know more about the book, make sure to click here read ‘5 Lessons I Learned After Reading ‘Eat Right for Your Type’.
3. Low-Gluten Diet
For the longest time, I have been convinced that I have some kind of allergy or intolerance to gluten. The tests to verify this take some time and are expensive, so I haven’t had the opportunity to prove my theory.
Either way, I decided to drastically reduce my intake of gluten because I was having a lot of digestive and bloating issues. I have found great gluten-free bread and flour substitutes that have helped me feel like I am not depriving myself of any food, but rather enjoying a healthier version.
It has made a big difference in my digestion, my energy levels and of course how bloated I look.
4. Trying New Food
From chickpea flour, amaranth pasta, beyond meat, quinoa cereals, and monkfruit, to tofu and kombucha. I have tried to experiment with different types of food and recipes.
I feel that now my diet is much more diverse and includes foods that are more gentle on my body. In general, I have more energy, I feel better physically and even my acne has cleared.
The most important thing to remember is that everything in life is about balance. None of this means that I’m going to deprive myself of eating a pizza if I feel like it for a weekend 🍕 but in my day-to-day, I try to make more conscious decisions and give my body the best fuel.
