WHEN I SHARED MY BODY TRANSFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA EARLIER THIS WEEK, I HAD NO IDEA HOW MANY BEAUTIFUL WOMEN WOULD RESPOND! I WAS SO HESITANT BECAUSE I TRULY HADN'T SHARED MY EXPERIENCE WITH DISTORTED BODY IMAGE BEFORE, BUT I FELT ENCOURAGED BY SO MANY LOVELY WOMEN. MANY ASKED ME TO SHARE MY STORY AND EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL... SO HERE IT GOES.

THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT WAS NOVEMBER 2017. I HAD JUST GOTTEN SOBER. I SEE THAT PICTURE AND I DON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THE GIRL THAT I HAD BECOME. I'M SO BLOATED AND PUFFY, YOU CAN JUST TELL I WASN'T TREATING MY BODY RIGHT. AT ALL. HONESTLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO SHE IS. THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT WAS TAKEN TWO WEEKS AGO: MARCH 2021. IN BETWEEN THESE TWO PHOTOS IS 3.5 YEARS OF GROWTH, A COUPLE SET BACKS, LOTS OF LIFE LESSONS, AND LEARNING HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF SOBRIETY, I DIDN'T REALLY NOTICE ANY CHANGES. I WAS SO BUSY AT THE BEGINNING OF RECOVERY, THAT I DIDN'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT I WAS WEARING, OR HOW MY CLOTHES WERE FITTING. THERES A CRAZY TRANSITION THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FIRST GET SOBER, AS YOUR BRAIN AND BODY RECALIBRATE. FOR ONCE, I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW I LOOKED, BUT RATHER HOW I FELT.

IT SEEMS AS IF I WOKE UP AROUND SIX MONTHS OF SOBRIETY AND MY FACE LOOKED SLIMMER. MY LEGS DIDN'T LOOK AS PUFFY. I LOOKED LESS SWOLLEN. MY EYES WERE CLEAR. THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE LOOKED GOOD ON ME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WAS REALLY STARTING TO FEEL BETTER. IT TOOK ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF NOT DRINKING, REGULATING MY SLEEP SCHEDULE, AND EATING HEALTHY FOR ME TO NOTICE A CHANGE ON HOW I PHYSICALLY LOOKED. I KNEW HOW DIFFERENT I FELT, BUT NOW MY BODY CAUGHT UP TO ME. I KNEW SOBRIETY WASN'T A DETOX OR A TREND, BUT A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. I WAS GOING TO CHANGE MY LIFE. SO SIX MONTHS FOR A VISUAL RESULT DIDN'T DETER ME. I DIDN'T EVEN HONESTLY EXPECT MY BODY TO CHANGE. THE ONE TIME I DIDN'T REALLY 'TRY' TO CHANGE MY BODY, IT CHANGED ON ITS OWN AS A RESULT OF MY HEALTHIER CHOICES.

THEN, I STARTED WORKING OUT LITTLE BY LITTLE, MOSTLY BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I REALLY HAD TO MOVE MY BODY. I WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN PROPER FITNESS, BUT I FELT TOO INTIMIDATED IN THE GYM. I HAD NEVER 'FORMALLY' WORKED OUT WITH A TRAINER, LIFTING WEIGHTS . ONE DAY, MY THEN BOYFRIEND (NOW FIANCE), TOOK ME TO THE GYM WITH HIM. HE IS VERY KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT FITNESS, SO I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH HIM. HE GAVE ME THE RUN DOWN OF IT ALL AND WE STARTED WORKING OUT TOGETHER. THIS CONTINUED THROUGH THE SUMMER, AND EVERY TIME I WENT TO THE GYM I BECAME MORE AND MORE AT EASE.

WORKING OUT BECAME SOMETHING I LOVED TO DO, INSTEAD OF SOMETHING I HAD TO DO. I LIKED LEARNING ABOUT DIFFERENT EXCERISES, I LOVED TAKING CLASSES. I LIKED MEETING OTHER HEALTHY, LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE. I LOVED TAKING CARE OF MY BODY, SO MY BODY COULD PERFORM AT ITS BEST. I BECAME ADDICTED TO ENDORPHINS AND FEELING GOOD.

WHENEVER I TRAVEL, I LIKE TO WORK OUT. EXPLORE NEW GYMS, TRY NEW CLASSES. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TRY NEW THINGS AND SEE NEW PLACES IN A HEALTHY WAY. MOVING MY BODY WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF MY SELF CARE. I CAN'T IMAGINE MY LIFE WITHOUT IT.

THE BIGGEST THING I LEARNED ABOUT MY TRANSFORMATION IS THAT I HONESTLY HAD NO INTENTION OF LOSING WEIGHT. I DIDN'T GET SOBER BECAUSE I WANTED TO LOSE 10 LBS. I GOT SOBER BECAUSE I WAS SICK OF BEING MISERABLE AND I WANTED TO GET HAPPY. WORKING OUT AND MOVING MY BODY MADE ME HAPPY. LEARNING TO COOK HEALTHY FOOD MADE ME HAPPY. TAKING CARE OF MYSELF MADE ME HAPPY. BEING PROUD OF WHO I WAS MADE ME HAPPY. I HAD EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO MOTIVATE ME TO FIND MY HAPPINESS.

MY BODY RESPONDED TO THAT HAPPINESS, BECAUSE IT JUST WANTED TO BE TREATED RIGHT.

AND NOW, I'M FINALLY HAPPY WITH THE SKIN I'M IN. I HOPE YOU CAN BE TOO.

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T