This has been a long journey for me. As a kid/teenager, I was actually pretty skinny and hardly gained weight. I realize now that I didn't have good eating habits back then and didn’t eat the right foods... like fruits and vegetables. When I was pregnant with my son, I gained a lot of weight but lost all and more after he was born. The weight loss wasn’t because I ate well. Actually, I often missed meals between juggling college, my son and keeping the house intact. However, I was very active and probably for the 1st time in my life. I climbed the stairs at my college (not by choice) a million times a day (exaggeration but you get the picture!) because my classes where spread out on all 5 floors. I also had a very active toddler to keep up with at home. However, all that weight loss was history when I graduated and started my career as a Legal Assistant.
I was at my heaviest (at that time) in 2001 only 7 or 8 months after starting my job as a Junior Legal Assistant at a boutique law firm in downtown Toronto. I not only continued to eat badly and have bad eating habits like not eating breakfast and not having vegetables and fruits in my diet, but also I started drinking over 5 cups of coffee a day with lots and lots of sugar! I literally had coffee with my sugar instead of sugar with my coffee!!! I also started binging on food as a method of stress relief and comfort! Combine all that with no physical activity to speak of and sitting for most of the day... well what you get is a very unhealthy young lady!!!!
I obviously noticed the weight gain but I was in denial that I cared or that it mattered. May be I was thinking that if I ignored it ... others won't see it either. But slowly, I withdrew from social events and wore black baggy clothes and wore mostly long sleeves everywhere even during the summer! I was trying to hide myself and what I was doing to my body. Going to church on Sabbath was the hardest day of my week because I couldn't wear anything that I felt looked good... and I often cried every time I had to dress. I was so self-conscious. I got pretty depressed because I put so much importance on how I looked. I didn’t want to go out unless I had absolutely no choice. I would often comfort myself with food. I would think, “Its ok... I’ll just have ice cream and I’ll feel better” or I’d invite a friend to go eat at a buffet. Food became my confidant and my source of comfort and protection from reality.
The turning point was 4 years later... in 2004. I moved to a less stressful law firm. I felt that it was a new beginning and with the new job, I would also have a new look. So this is where my journey began. I was sick of how I look, how I felt and of wearing ugly baggy clothes. I was determined to lose the weight!
I was at my heaviest (at that time) in 2001 only 7 or 8 months after starting my job as a Junior Legal Assistant at a boutique law firm in downtown Toronto. I not only continued to eat badly and have bad eating habits like not eating breakfast and not having vegetables and fruits in my diet, but also I started drinking over 5 cups of coffee a day with lots and lots of sugar! I literally had coffee with my sugar instead of sugar with my coffee!!! I also started binging on food as a method of stress relief and comfort! Combine all that with no physical activity to speak of and sitting for most of the day... well what you get is a very unhealthy young lady!!!!
I obviously noticed the weight gain but I was in denial that I cared or that it mattered. May be I was thinking that if I ignored it ... others won't see it either. But slowly, I withdrew from social events and wore black baggy clothes and wore mostly long sleeves everywhere even during the summer! I was trying to hide myself and what I was doing to my body. Going to church on Sabbath was the hardest day of my week because I couldn't wear anything that I felt looked good... and I often cried every time I had to dress. I was so self-conscious. I got pretty depressed because I put so much importance on how I looked. I didn’t want to go out unless I had absolutely no choice. I would often comfort myself with food. I would think, “Its ok... I’ll just have ice cream and I’ll feel better” or I’d invite a friend to go eat at a buffet. Food became my confidant and my source of comfort and protection from reality.
The turning point was 4 years later... in 2004. I moved to a less stressful law firm. I felt that it was a new beginning and with the new job, I would also have a new look. So this is where my journey began. I was sick of how I look, how I felt and of wearing ugly baggy clothes. I was determined to lose the weight!
Me in 2003
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