Slow and steady
wins the race:
how one girl’s determination
to get fit
changed her life
We spend our lives transitioning. From a baby into a toddler, through childhood, the wondrous years of puberty and the teens through to adulthood. Where, for many, transition of any significant guise ceases. The focus moves on to buying a house, getting married, having babies, raising children etc. However, for me adulthood marked a period in my life where I controlled the transitions that occurred. As a tiny and geeky teen I grew up very much feeling like the ugly duckling, un-noticed by the boys at school. As I graduated from university and made a life-changing move to London transitions REALLY began. Although it wasn’t immediate and by no means quick over the past 4 years I have changed.
People look at me now and cannot believe how I was; how I looked and how much things have changed in my life. However they have, I cannot ever explain how much happier I am internally since making these changes, and it is NOT all about how I look. I am healthier, I spend large amounts of my free time outdoors, I am always moving yet I am still with calm (most of the time), and have found peace with a lot of internal things.
Life is easy to a certain extent now; I enjoy running, cycling, working out. I enjoy life and know that if I want to do something the chances are I can do it if I work at it. Although to many the work to achieve it might be hard, to me that is the fun and easy part. Trying to illustrate how difficult this was at the beginning is the hardest part. My journey has NOT been easy. People see the then and the now and often do not realise the hard work in between. They see me now with a mega runner’s appetite eating what I like because I burn it off and feeling resentful that they can’t eat that much without putting on weight. They seem to think I have it easy.
When I first started on this journey I joined Weight Watchers — it worked for me but I can’t endorse it will work for everyone. It taught me portion control and the ease of bulking out meals with vegetables to help me both feel fuller and get more nutrients. I also learnt how much the exercise I was doing was worth, and how it wasn’t an excuse to eat more if I wanted to continue to lose weight. However I also had to learn to make choices about eating out, going out, drinking and making time to prepare meals. I sit at my desk each day with my Tupperware while my colleagues go out for Chinese or order in Sushi — (cos you know it’s healthy!). However these meals have hidden ingredients whereas I know what I am putting into my body, I’ve prepared it. I set aside time each week to plan my lunches to prevent me needing to order in. There are times when I don’t have time, but most weekends I will make time. It is these invisible hours that people don’t see; they don’t understand what it takes. These are the hours that REALLY count: the invisible transition of food into lunches that occurs behind closed doors at home. My colleagues might see pictures on Instagram but unless they are a runner they can’t understand the pain and effort gone into a 23 mile Sunday run.
Everyone these days wants results in a second — 60 second abs, 6 weeks to a 6 pack plan, beach body ready in 1 month etc. All these things appeal to the modern world where food turns up on our doorstep, gadgets that can be delivered the next day, and now we want health and body results in the snap of a finger too. The body however is NOT so responsive and although a transition can be incredible, it’s because an incredible amount of hard work has gone into it. But you know what — it is totally worth it because the biggest transition is inside: in my head, my thoughts and my emotions. Because of that I would do it ALL again in an instant and you should too.
Go on take the first step now and just imagine where you could be!
Helena is a runner and fitness blogger. She first got into running to lose weight and get fit but has since caught the running bug and now is happiest running on trails for hours on a Sunday.
