My Journey to Health
Important note: I am NOT a Doctor
This blog post is based on my experience and my opinion, as a lifetime Weight Loss Crusader.
At Passion/Gratitude: The Introvert Healer we will never:
🚫 Attempt to diagnose you or claim to have any kind of cure
🚫 Try to overrule your medical professionals
🚫 Judge, pry or preach to you about your medical decisions.
It also goes against my values to make unfounded promises or twist the truth.
In the interest of full transparency, I feel it is important to share the tools and actions which worked for me because although this may be controversial:
I don’t believe Energy Healing Causes Weight Loss.
Not on its own.
I believe Energy Healing is the catalyst which allows us to release our emotional baggage and rediscover our self-worth.
Shifting the emotional weight makes it easier for us to make our health a priority and take the steps which we feel are right for ourselves, deep within our hearts.
I respect that your healing and weight loss journey will look different from my own. As I share my story, I ask that you take what resonates and ignore what does not.
Always trust your own instincts and intuition above all else.
So here we go!
Diets, Self-loathing & Shame - Oh my!
I have been on a weight loss journey for probably 98% of my life.
At a purely academic level, I think we all understand the basics of weight loss:
Calorie input vs calorie output.
But in the real world there are so many more factors in this equation that can inhibit weight loss and contribute to weight gain.
Over the last 25 years, my weight has fluctuated from as low as 75kgs (165lbs) to as high as 185kgs (408lbs).
Seriously.
I’ve done every diet and exercise plan you can think of. And you know what?
They worked! But the truth of the matter is:
I’ve never had a problem with weight loss. I have a problem with weight maintenance.
The Emotional Weight Game
My life has been beautiful, but it has not been easy. (“Whose has?” Right?)
It wasn’t until I had my Heart-Wall cleared in 2020 that I finally got serious about taking care of my health.
I no longer felt the shame of living in a larger body.
I wanted to walk, explore, move and experience everything life had to offer.
And when I went out, I felt as though I deserved to be there as much as anyone else did. I was just as worthy of a good life as anyone else.
With all this extra activity, my body needed better fuel and more water. I started to crave and eat more nutritious meals.
It felt self-affirming to make these good choices and I managed to lose 25kgs (55lbs) without any real conscious effort.
I was simply enjoying a Heart-Wall free life and reaping the benefits!
Then my weight plateaued.
I was still making good choices and hitting my exercise goals. Why wasn’t it working anymore?
As my scales languished, my self-doubt and self-loathing started to creep back in.
Feeling unworthy: Burgers are cheaper, why bother paying extra for a salad?
Feeling guilty: I should be spending my time helping someone else, not exercising!
Feeling unsafe: People will laugh at me if they know I’m trying to lose weight.
Before discovering the world of Energy Healing, that shame spiral would have ended in self-sabotaging behavior and a massive weight re-gain.
Not this time!
I started using The Body Code to release imbalances related to my weight and the associated feelings of unworthiness, guilt and lack of safety.
I also meditated on it - A LOT - and my intuition told me: It’s time to ask for help.
At the end of 15mins of sitting in silence, and almost in a trance, I booked a doctor’s appointment with the intention of seeking a referral for:
Weight Loss Surgery
Like most people, I lived with the false belief that weight loss surgery was “cheating” and it was the “easy way out”.
I don’t know why.
I’d never actually researched how much time, effort, money and discipline was required to prepare for the surgery. I certainly had no idea how much restriction and re-education goes into the post-operative lifestyle.
I even knew people who had done the surgery and had amazing results which matched their amazing commitment.
My ignorance kept me judgmental and my judgment kept me overweight.
In March 2022, after a lot of research and releasing limiting beliefs, I finally understood that Weight Loss Surgery is just another tool. Why not select the best tool for the job at hand?
After discussing my options with my surgeon, I opted for a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy AKA the gastric sleeve operation and was booked for surgery 12 August 2022.
Today is my 6-month anniversary
Its been hard work:
4 weeks of following a pre-operative eating plan
Pre-operative appointments with the surgeon, a psychologist and a nutritionist
Surgery day and the associated fear and anxiety of my first operation
2 days of nil-per-mouth
2 weeks of liquids only
2 weeks of pureed food only
2 weeks of soft food
Learning to listen to my body’s signals to stop eating or drinking
A lifetime of mindful eating and waiting 30mins between eating and drinking.
But I did it. I followed to my surgeon’s advice completely because I finally believed I was worthy of making this lifestyle change.
While I still have another 20kgs (44lbs) I am working to release, I stand by my decision and my results:
While my journey included surgical intervention, I truly believe it is the reclaiming of my self-worth which led to my weight loss.
Self-worth is what fuels our willingness to take action. To know that we are as deserving of a beautiful life as everyone else is.
When you’re ready, Passion/Gratitude: The Introvert Healer is here to help you on the next step of your healing journey.
Are you ready to start your healing journey with The Introvert Healer?
Article reposted with new photos in August 2024: TheIntrovertHealer.com/blog/health
