Me indulging in Apple Fritters...fried, fattening, and fabulous. YUM!!
That being said, I acknowledged this year over winter break that my eating and exercise habits could not stay the same as they once were. I acknowledged that I needed a change. And that's what I'm working on now.
Let me give you a little backstory. Kim definitely got a head start on me in the health department; my stunning twin sister never thought she was perfect enough (no matter how hard I tried to convince her otherwise), and in high school she was always trying to fix what I believed wasn't broken. She joined cross country while I stayed inside and Skyped my long-distance boyfriend. She switched to eating salmon and sunflower seeds while I nonchalantly piled my froyo cup high with Snickers pieces and chocolate chips. While she dropped weight with her determination and willpower, I didn't think twice while I packed on the pounds.
At first, I was indifferent when people started saying how great Kim looked; she's my IDENTICAL twin sister, I just assumed it was a compliment for both of us. Then they stopped being compliments I could apply to myself, and they became compliments directed specifically at Kim. People would see us walking together and single her out, "Kim, you look awesome, what are you doing?" or they'd hug both of us and after hugging her they'd say, "Wow! Kim you're so tiny!"
It started to hurt my feelings. But rather than accept the challenge to get healthy with Kim, I entered a stage of denial. I woke up every morning and told myself I was beautiful even when my jeans were struggling the close. When shirts stopped fitting, I merely picked up my credit card and assured myself it was god's way of telling me I needed a shopping trip.
Sometimes I was able to get Kim to indulge in dessert with me. Like this one time in Holland: WHO COULD RESIST?!
But going off to college was a much needed vacation for me. I love my twin more than anything, but I was tired of always being compared to her. I needed a chance to be one-of-a-kind. I figured if I wasn't always being compared to Kim, I'd be seen as just as beautiful as others saw my sister. But I didn't deal well with the dining hall food at Syracuse. There were just too many unhealthy options, and I quickly started swapping wilted salads for beaming, golden french fries.
Clearly, I started to put on even more weight. And to top it off, I was too lazy to go to the gym. I wasn't working off any of the weight that I was gaining. At one of my low points, I even bought myself a pregnancy test; I needed to know if my belly bulge was just from eating fries, or there was a little fry growing inside of me. It turned out to be the first one. Not surprisingly, I packed on the freshman 16. It was hideous. Suddenly, I was disappointing the one person I could always count on: myself. I could no longer hide behind the sexy costumes I wore to parties at school. Even bras and tutu's couldn't distract from my eventual weight-gain.
Do you see those stomach rolls? I don't even know how I thought that looked good.
So this year, over winter break, I decided things would be different. I am finally taking control of what I had avoided for so long. To do this, I am not trying anything fancy or elaborate. I am just being healthy. To me, this involves eating right and working out. I had always avoided going to the gym with Kim, but I knew that if I could encourage myself to get into the treadmill game, in addition to consuming more nutritious foods, I would become a happier person.
Me on "Bid Day" with some of my amazing sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. I'm rocking shorts in 10 degree weather!!!!
1. Eating LARGE amounts of vegetables and fruits
2. Avoiding red meat (I mostly eat fish and chicken now anyways; it's college life, I can't afford expensive living)
3. Never skipping breakfast! I have to start my metabolism early.
4. Staying away from carbs and dairy. I have always believed I was both gluten and lactose intolerant, but by keeping this rule I feel I can control my diet best. (I'll admit, I make a few exceptions for frozen yogurt still! But I always top with fresh fruit and sliced almonds instead of chocolate)
5. It's college, so obviously there's some drinking involved, but I keep only trail mix and dried seaweed in my house for drunk-munching. So late night snacks are never too indulgent!
6. NEVER letting myself get hungry. I snack like a fiend all through the day so I don't wind up making poor decisions.
7. Drinking water whenever possible. I have a bladder the size of a walnut, but it's super important to stay hydrated.
8. Drinking green tea at night. It always makes my stomach feel balanced and de-bloats me.
9. Move my body every day. I walk ALL over campus to go to class, but I still make time to go to the gym. If I don't have time to run, I'll do Jillian Michaels's "Yoga Meltdown" DVD in my living room. My roommate can attest to the fact that I'll often drop down and do twenty pushups during a random TV show, or I'll plank for a couple minutes for funsies.
10. Love myself no matter what. Besides my family (and some exceptional best friends), I know I'm the only person who is truly able to love myself unconditionally, so I know I have to take advantage of that. I'm working hard, so I know there's no reason to ever get disappointed in myself again.
Getting breakfast with my best friend, Amber, in NYC! We went the healthy route with eggs and veggies! (And nibbled tiny "Baked by Melissa" cupcakes after for my birthday)
We've held a python together in Vietnam, it's time to start another adventure together!
--Lara
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