Before I write about my transformation, as much as we love to see weight loss results, I’m always happy and grateful that I finally made that decision to take this journey. You see, it is not easy to set your eye on taking charge of your health and end the unhealthy lifestyle. I’m in my late 30s now and it is not just about being hot or sexy. I want to be healthy.
Let me tell you a short backstory…
I didn’t grow up fat but I easily gain weight. I LOVE TO EAT. I remember everytime I come back to university from a semestral break, there is always a rumour that I’m pregnant – until it stopped because maybe people noticed the cycle of me having a bulge from good home cooked meals.
With boobs and hips, I can never be thin or slim but boy, I love my curves. I’m confident and as I entered my 30s after two kids, I just got bigger and bigger…still I was confident. I hear words like I’m fat but those are from people who have to resort to those comments hoping that is the only way to break me. I guess I relied on my pretty face (at least gwapa ko noh?) and my positivity that I embraced my new body.
With plus size clothes, I don’t have to worry about clothes won’t fit me anymore. But I noticed that I get bigger and bigger every single year as I buy new clothes larger and larger until I reached 3XL (grasp!). I’m fine with it, my mind and heart still embrace the evolving me (thanks to positive body accepting folks) but my physical body simply can’t take it anymore.
My knees hurt. I snore. When I talk while walking, I’m gasping for air. I’m sluggish. I’m easily agitated.
That staycation that changed my life
My youngest had a super minor scratch from roughhousing while in the pool with this older brother. Being the rascal in the family, he said he can’t go to school the next day because of his wound. We asked Marriott Iloilo’s front desk for any bandage and they informed us that they will send their in-house nurse to fully assist us and clean my son’s wound (which was not really a wound).
Then came nurse, Con (I’m not sure if I remember her name), she was patient even when my youngest was just exaggerating. Such a sweetheart. Since she came with all her gadgets, my husband asked if he can have his blood pressure taken.
Nurse Con took my husband’s blood pressure and then I said while watching TV, “maybe I can have mine checked too“. She did the whole thing. She placed the Blood Pressure Cuff in my arm and pumped the BP cuff bulb. You know that feeling that it gets tighter and tighter and then the nurse deflates the bulb.
Yes, I was waiting for the reading. It was almost there..tighter and tighter..until it burst opened!
Silence in the room. I don’t know if I will cry or laugh.It burst slowly like a slow death, trying to agonize me. I was waiting for their reaction. My mean husband chuckled – and I gave him the dagger look. But oh my, nurse Con was such a professional. She immediately dismissed it and that she used the wrong cuff size.
I looked at the size, not sure if it was large or extra large..but never ever had I experienced a burst blood monitor cuff in my entire life! It only means, my arms are just too big!
“That’s it! I’m going to the gym later!“
You see in my entire 35 years of existence, I have only been to the gym once prior to that embarassing aha moment. It was in Marco Polo Cebu and I went to the gym because I wanted to deflate my tummy for next day’s breakfast buffet. I end up feeling dizzy after 35 minutes on a treadmill. Good thing no one was around.You see, my attempt to go to the gym has been a funny fiasco.
From our room, I went to Marriott’s gym. And since no one was around, I took another daring move – weighing myself. The scale. That bitch. And she gave me a dreadful number – 96kg.
My heart sank. Numbers don’t lie. That was a wake up call. I know I’m fat but I didn’t realise how fat I was. Went to the treadmill then to the elliptical. Just enough for my heart to pump though I was wishing it improves endurance too.
The Wellness Club Spa and Gym
That weekend of December 1, 2018 I made a decision that I will finally go to the gym. Gym never appealed to me. I don’t like the thought of sweaty people.
I’m a gym virgin, where should I go? The only gym I can think of was at Days Hotel Iloilo because I’m familiar with their gym. I’ve seen it when I went for a massage during one of our Days Hotel Iloilo staycations. Another friend also recommended me this hotel gym in Iloilo.
That bursting cuff incident gave me an excitement. In fact when I was about to sleep the night before I went to the gym, I told my husband that I’m so looking forward to my first workout.
Damn, I was wrong..
On my first days at the gym, the scale validated the number it gave me. The gym is filled with mirrors and the reflection I got was totally unfiltered and real. I felt awful, I wanted to puke looking at my body. After a few days of going to the gym, I looked at my fat self and said, ” Don’t worry I’ll make it up to you. I got you, girl.”
It’s been 8 months since I started this journey and I’m still far from my target. But you know what? I’m happy, it is not longer a goal for me but a lifestyle. I didn’t just lose weight but I lost some fats. I’m still far from my healthy weight, still working on it…but I’m not stopping anytime soon.
I’m glad that blood pressure cuff burst. We need to be slapped sometimes to be awaken from our daydream and face reality.
Thanks for reading!
