People on the bus think I'm pregnant

I've known this for a long time and it's semi-hilarious.
My belly jelly is bigger than my breasts, so depending on the clothes I'm wearing it can stick out a lot more than usual, creating the illusion of a pregnant belly.  I avoid all empire waists because of this.
So without fail, people on the bus (and trains back home) feel bad for me when they see me standing up and offer me their seat.  Maybe you'd be offended and ashamed by this, and while I'm not happy about my belly being so big, I choose to see the silver lining; I always have a seat on the bus! And I'll even admit sometimes I stick out my belly a little bit more if I'm really tired after a long day at work and want a seat.  It works for me.  I never confirm I'm preggo and no one asks.  If they did ask I would tell them the truth; I'm just fat.

I've come to rely on my belly for so many things.  I can push things out the way with it, I can use it to hold things up; I've learned so many little tricks to adapt to my situation.  I don't know when it became so "comfortable" to deal with it, until it became extremely uncomfortable, especially moving around in the summer.  It didn't really bother me that people would give up their seats and when I realized why they were doing it, I chose to see the positive rather than freak out about it.  At least they have nice intentions.  But it's also another reality check.  I don't want to go through life as a fake pregnant lady.

I've started to slowly let go of my "baby" and visualize myself without it.  I honestly don't even know what it'll feel or be like for me but I most likely won't be getting offered any more seats on the bus...and that's OK.

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

Fat shaming and other NO-NO's

I just wanted to put this out there to clarify on where I stand regarding health, fitness, and nutrition.  I believe that everyone has their own path to take when it comes to their health.  I believe your relationship with food and your body is like religion in the sense that everyone finds what works for them and what doesn't, and people can get very defensive (or offensive) when their stance on food and diet is scrutinized.  What may work for me may not work for you, and I acknowledge and accept that.

I am on a path towards better health for me, for many reasons.  First I don't like the way my body feels.  I feel heavy; I feel every pound weighing down on me  The weight was taking a toll on my knees and I needed to do something about it.  I also didn't like the way I felt emotionally.  I've struggled with low self-esteem and at the end of the day I want to be comfortable with my body.  Don't get me wrong I love myself and I love my body, but I know I can look and feel better about myself.  If society has labeled you fat but you love the way you look and you feel great, more power to you. I am not a fat-shamer in any way and I will never try to impose my beliefs and my path on anyone.  If you ask me about what I'm doing and want to learn more, I'll gladly tell you what you want, otherwise I won't ever be giving out unwarranted "advice".

One thing I can't stand is people giving you their opinion and/or unsolicited "advice" about your weight and health just because they feel they are helping you.  I can't stand it because it's happened many times in my life and I consider this to be a form of bullying.  I didn't ask for your advice or judgement.  Just because I may be eating healthier doesn't mean I won't ever eat junk food again; it's a process and that will take time.  You can see my struggle with emotional eating and food addiction in my previous posts.  Also just because I may be eating healthier doesn't mean I'll judge you if we go out to eat and you order a pizza instead of a salad; to each their own!  My life is my own and I'll do with it as I see fit, and the same goes for everyone else.

My purpose with this blog is to chronicle my journey with weight loss and better health.  I find it therapeutic to share my struggles, fears, worries, doubts and also triumphs.  I want to be able to one day look back and see how far I've come.  My words are for those who may be dealing with the same issues and need some guidance, or just want a bit of a laugh (let's face it I'm really funny).  I hope it can serve to help you on your journey!

What forms of "fat-shaming" and/or bullying have you experienced because of your weight?

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

Gluttony in the Workplace

What's wrong with this picture?  The fruits look great, I got some brown rice and mixed vegetables in the tupperware...could it be the sneaky croissant in the back?  DING, DING, DING!

So there you are, feeling awesome for eating healthy.  You've been sticking to eating clean for a few days and you're on cloud 9.  Then, BOOM...office party!  Or there's catering for breakfast, Or a co-worker brings in some goodies (which usually are evil little sweets which taste so good!)....the list goes on and on. What is it with junk food at work?  I've worked in so many different places (I'm a hardcore temp) and it never fails; always some sweet (or savory) temptations to knock you off your routine.

The food's not always "junk" but they always manage to sneak junky stuff in the mix.  For example, the picture above depicts the selection from my office's catered breakfast; fruits and pastries (muffins, danishes, cinnamon buns, you name it).  It's so hard for me to pass up FREE FOOD!  I was raised in a family which never wasted and it was ingrained in us to eat everything on our plates, take extras for leftovers the next day, and never, ever, ever pass up free food.  And then, there's always that one person at the office who sees you trying to avoid the fatty stuff, or knows you're trying to eat healthier and tries to thwart your routine.  They're like "no diet today" or "it's ok to take just one little bite"...evil!  They dangle the chocolate chip cooking you've been eyeing, or they eat that slice of pizza with the cheese dripping off, right in front of you (evil co-worker picture to the right).  You're trying to be good but then your stomach betrays you with a loud rumble.

I did good today because even though I had the croissant, it was only the croissant (and fruits of course, woohoo).  I'm not gonna preach to you on how to avoid junk food in the workplace.  There are tons of great advice out there on how you should take plenty of snacks and healthy treats with you to avoid temptation. Doesn't work for me!  I'm not gonna lie and say I'll pass...maybe one day if I'm truly not tempted to, but usually I take something.  The piece of advice I can give is to just take 1 "bad" thing if you absolutely must take something.  If I'm gonna take something "junky" I'm gonna take the best and enjoy it like the indulgence it is. I'll take my time eating it and enjoy every bite.  Also I've worked in places that had office parties every other day.  While yes it is awesome that they treat the employees to food, I aim not to partake in the festivities too often, only because I don't want to get caught up eating junk frequently.  I value that I've been able to ween off of junk food (for the most part) and I don't want to backtrack.  

Next time you're at an office function debating whether or not to have that piece of cake (or whatever), first get away from your evil coworker who wants to throw you off track, and then spot that one thing that you can't live without (at least for the work day), and enjoy it!  Once I come up with a better system I'll share it with you.

By the way, how do you handle the "goodies" at work?  And what does your evil co-worker say or do to try to throw you off track?

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!