HOW TO START YOUR HEALTH JOURNEY
The Start
There is a lot of talk and information in the health and wellness industry regarding being healthy and where to begin; however, I thought it would be best to explain where I was and how I started my journey; in hopes of showing you that success is a pretty bumpy ride.
The road to success was NOT a pretty one; it was very bumpy and was not very consistent; nevertheless, I kept going because I felt this pull toward my health.
I started my health and wellness journey at the significant, bold age of 15 when my mom would drop me off at the all-women gym called Curves (which I hated btw). When we went to an average gym for all women that had weights, cardio equipment, etc.
However, I didn't really notice that I had a weight issue till I went to a vegetarian summer camp, and I had a massive weight loss after not eating red meat or pork-only eating turkey, veggie patties, etc.
I felt lighter, healthier, and a lot happier, but right when I came back to my Puerto Rican household, without any standards, healthy habits, and losing eating habits, I was right where I was before summer camp.
Then the emotional eating: figuring out who I was in society, trying to identify who I was as a person of my own culture, figuring this thing out called life of two divorce children that are parents: it was very tough growing up.
I was seeking love, I was seeking validation, I was seeking real friends, I was seeking creative expression.
I was bullied because of my body; thus, I was always trying to fit in; I was oversexualized, etc.
What did this result? I held it in, and that translated into constant weight gain that reflected in my body. That resulted in my mental health being not so great, so let's not even begin into my spiritual health.
I was not hanging out with the right crowd that led me to lose a lot of time with my family until I started seeing therapy and a nutritionist and dropping friends.
What was the turning point?
My dream was to be a model: while advocating for different cultures, religion, telling the world about Puerto Rico- as I saw growing up as the beauty queens wearing the evening gowns, I wanted to be Miss Universe, so my dream was to be Miss Universe.
My childhood dream did not happen, but through the loss of that dream and the emotional frustration of that bent of the years of colonized beauty standards, telling me my hips were not beautiful. I was fat- I snapped, and I finally realized that the short quick fat loss wasn't working, and I had to do this the right way to yet live the life that was in my imagination.
Confronting Emotional Trauma
I can't express the wounds you have to go through and how many times people want the glory but do not want to go through the trauma in order to actually live a life of abundance.
It does not work this way.
You must look at the trauma, look at what happened before the trauma, and identify what happens before the trauma. Then you must ask yourself questions- go through it, feel it.
Most people are not willing to go through this, but if you do go through this and ask yourself what made you get to the position you're in-you, you will never be there again and indeed be free.
It was letting go of the standards of beauty that society of beauty that was placed by colonialism and being bullied about my body.
Ask yourself what trauma do you have to let go of?
Setting Habits
Habits, if you do not have habits-you're going to be going around and around continually asking yourself; why you're either gaining weight then losing it or vice versa.
Basically, not keeping a Confidently Healthy™️ lifestyle; that is your version of right because you're in this constant yo-yo; mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Speaking about maintaining habits, let's work on creating habits-download the free workbook down below.
Download the free workbook⤵️
Therapy
I think this negative stigma, especially in the Christian religion, that you should only be speaking to God, and that is it. I completely disagree with that- I believe that God uses people to help you on your path and journey because we are tribal people. When you reach out to people, you realize that you are not alone.
Professionals are intended to help you release this trauma past doesn't repeat itself again; these people are meant to help you. If you do not like them, you are safe to change; you must still be consistent with your healing.
Therapy is a safe place. It is such a freeing experience that I highly suggest that everyone go do experience. Now that everything is virtual, everyone has access to it!