I Finally Asked for Help

I’ve known for a while that I’ve gained weight- and in the process lost some of my confidence, undid the hard work I put in at the gym for the past three years, and the ability to wear some of the items in my closet. I even wrote a full post about it when the realization hit me, after we had come back from our holiday in Sri Lanka.

But I didn’t actually snap until about a month ago when Ahmad and I were going out for a long-overdue date night and I just couldn’t find anything to wear. I tried on one piece after the other only to angrily discard them on the bed. No matter if they were new or old, I just could not find anything flattering at that particular moment and I admit that I managed to ruin date night.

We did make it out of the door that night after I settled on a black top and some red, flowy pants- but the damage was done. It was not the best time out we have had: I even returned the food (which is something I never do at a restaurant).

This photo, that Ahmad took of me on that ill-fated date night, was the one that set all of this in motion. You can tell I’m forcing a smile.

That incident was enough to indicate that I needed to take action or else I would never feel good about myself. That the weight would keep piling on while I sat there wondering, but never really doing anything much about it.

I didn’t even know what was going wrong. We barely eat out or order in, our food is never fried and always includes a vegetable component. I was also trying as hard as possible to avoid snacking and sometimes binging on snacks after being frustrated. I was going to the gym! I even wore a fitness tracker!

So after stalling for more than I should, I finally realized something wasn’t going right and I  did something I never thought I would do: I asked for help from a professional. 

For years, the idea of consulting a nutritionist just didn’t sit well with me.

I was always under the impression that they were there to market certain products or a restrictive lifestyle that I just couldn’t keep up with. That was back when I wasn’t the adventurous eater I am today- so I always thought that they were going to ask me to do the impossible. It was also at a time when there weren’t that many options to take into consideration.

I also believed that only fat people needed help- and I surely wasn’t at that point yet.

But people change and so do their opinions and their eating habits.

I found it ridiculous that someone who believes that sometimes you can’t do it on your own and should ask for help did not want to do that very thing- all because of some preconceived notions that dated back at least 10 years.

So one morning, I booked an appointment with Healthy Happy Us  for the next day, all on a complete whim ( I found their website and the reviews appealing).

Usually and when it comes to me, such impulsive decisions can only mean negative consequences. But this one didn’t. I think the fact that I didn’t allow myself to think much about what I was doing helped me get over the ideas that I had firmly placed in my head years before. They also gave me a chance to focus on the fact that this for the sake of my health and sanity. On the other hand, I could always just not follow-through if I didn’t like what they had to offer.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right?

But I did follow-through, and already two weeks into the diet (or a lifestyle change, as I prefer to call it), I can feel the changes taking effect. Changes that I will talk about in several upcoming posts.

But the main one: I already feel happier. All because I got off my high horse and asked for some much needed help.