Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.
~Plato
I had been single for about a year when a charming, handsome gentleman entered my life. After being in a one-sided relationship for nearly six years, God sent me someone when I wasn’t even looking, and he was my blessing.
It was refreshing to have someone who wanted to spend time with me and truly loved me for me. We became best friends. We worked together; we talked and laughed together; we traveled together; we experienced great food together… We experienced great food together… We experienced great food together. It was all about the experiences with us. When it came to food, no experience was the same. We dined in places that I didn’t know existed. I was getting fed both spiritually with love and physically with food. But then came the shift.
One day, I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. Who was this person with fat cheeks who looked like she was in her first trimester of pregnancy? Oh, my God, it was me! What had happened? I had gained over 20 pounds in a year. When I went to the doctor for my physical, it was confirmed. I remember the visit like it was yesterday.
“You look so well and happy,” my physician stated. “You are just glowing. What seems to have you so giddy?”
I proceeded to tell her about the new man in my life. In the midst of congratulating me and going over my vitals, I asked about my weight. “I know I’ve gained a little weight…,” I said reluctantly.
When the nurse had taken my weight earlier, I turned my head quickly to avoid the disappointment.
“You’ve only gone from 140 to 161 pounds,” my physician stated kindly as she combed through my chart. “That’s understandable. You’re just happy, and women tend to gain weight when they are happy.”
“Girl, I don’t need to be this happy!” I exclaimed with a laugh.
I had sprouted from a size 8 to a size 12. I had never been a size 12 in my life. I had to get out of the double digits.
After hearing that disturbing number, I was determined to shed some pounds. Although I looked healthy, I felt heavy. It became imperative for me to start feeling healthier.
Nearly a month after that physical, I decided that I was going to exercise more consistently and make it a lifestyle. I made a promise to God and myself that I would take better care of my “temple.”
I started with baby steps by walking briskly for 30 minutes during the afternoons. Soon, I began to track my steps daily and got up to 10,000 steps. After I felt that my body was conditioned to walking, I graduated to walking and running. That decision took me about two weeks.
Fast-forward to my routine today. I begin my workout at 5:30 every morning, excluding the weekends, which is my break. I walk and run in intervals on the treadmill for 30 to 40 minutes. During the first three minutes, I do a brisk walk and then run at a high intensity for two minutes. I continue at this rate until I’ve reached the full 30 minutes. Frequently, I increase the resistance to 10.5 or higher, which provides an uphill challenge.
In addition to the treadmill in the morning, I also continue to walk for 30 minutes in the afternoons. I have become accustomed to working out twice a day. And I have increased my steps to 15,000 a day.
The results are encouraging. Although I have not stepped on a scale, I can feel the difference in my weight. I am now able to fit into some pants that I couldn’t get into two years ago. I’ve found that the combination of running with walking is working for my body.
Now that I’ve become an avid runner and walker, I eat what I want, but in moderation. I don’t starve myself because that’s a road to failure. If I get an urge to overindulge, I’ll pull up a picture of myself when I was a little heavier and compare it to where I am now. When I examine the here and now, I push away the extra food. The self-discipline has also been advantageous for my partner, who has made exercise a part of his lifestyle, too. We are both on our way to living healthier ever after.
— Kimberly Nichelle —