“I owed it to myself and my kids to lose the weight”

Today I have a guest post by Natasha Kisten-Skuce, known as the fitness blogger FitLikeMummy. She’ll share her fitness journey with us.

She says that she had a health scare in December 2016 and had a blood test done. “Discovered I was hypertensive and that my sugar, insulin and cholesterol levels were super high Then I realised that I owed it to myself and my kids get my act together and lose the weight.”

Natasha is a mother of two boys, Ashton who is 14 and Skylar is nine years old.
She and her sons do home work outs together. “We do 5km races together and even parkruns. Hiking is also part of our fitness routine.

“My kids are pretty awesome and they really support me in everything I do. Even when I don’t feel like they push me to be better,” says Natasha.

Anyway,

Let’s hear Natasha’s story:

In the battle to lose weight, I always believed that going it alone was the way to go.  I’m pretty much a loner when it comes to getting things done, but I figure it stems from my past of being disappointed and let down ever so often.

I started out at a whopping 108kg in December 2016 and have since lost 15kg.  The scale isn’t my friend and if I must be completely honest, the scale hasn’t changed since October 2017. My progress pics on the other hand tell a different story. I’ve gone from a size 44 to a size 38 showing that I’ve lost a considerable number of centimetres.

All I really did was make small attainable changes.  At the beginning of each week I set an attainable short-term goal like reducing my carb and sugar intake.  The following week I upped my water consumption to 2 litres per day.  Then it was time to hit the gym and just get moving.  Before I knew it, my focus had changed from one of weight loss to one of health and fitness.

Growing up, I was a fat kid and was constantly reminded of this by my family.  I honestly don’t think they realised how damaging and hurtful their comments were.

When visiting with family I was always greeted with a “you are really getting fat” or “you have put on a lot of weight” instead of a simple hello.  The word fat pretty much defined me and my nicknames, “fatso” and “fatty” made sure I knew what my family thought of me.

When I began this journey, I made the random and somewhat crazy decision (well that’s what I thought back then) to take my journey to social media and use Instagram to document pretty much everything.  Little did I know that it would turn out to be the best decision I had ever made.

In the blink of an eye I was part of a village of like-minded individuals who spurred me on and encouraged me on days when I wasn’t feeling it.  It was insane and profound all at once and I often found myself completely blown away by the support received from complete strangers.

Fact is, dieters need support to lose weight and several studies have proven that better weight loss results are achieved by those with adequate support.  The lack of support from a partner or family could pose challenges in terms of you staying on track.  It could almost become depressing as you will feel alone.

Not all days are a walk in the park.  Some days pretty much suck and you will find yourself wanting to throw in the towel because nobody understands your hardships and frustrations.

A support network however helps you accomplish your goals, but without that support, you can still succeed. Family and friends may have their faults. Sometimes hurtful things are said, or unhealthy temptations are put in your path.

Let’s take a moment to empower ourselves with these seven ways to overcome support barriers, and smash those fitness and weight loss goals:

• Do it for the right reasons – Do it for yourself and not for anyone else. Achieving your goals requires that you prioritise yourself.  So, drop the guilt (yes I’m talking to you moms) and remember you can’t pour from an empty cup.
• Overcome negative comments – There will be haters along this journey and this is something you will need to make peace with.  They may question your weight loss methods or accuse you of being selfish.  Inhale the good, exhale the bad!
• Recognise jealousy – People close to you may be jealous of your new lifestyle and zest for life.  This journey can make you become somewhat self-absorbed at times due to your new-found confidence.  So, try to create new and healthy activities to do together.
• Eating to please – The pressure of eating in social situations. It is difficult to say no for fear of making another person uncomfortable. The same may apply at home.  My husband for example initially offered or brought home unhealthy foods, but I’m no people pleaser and I stuck to my guns which I’m very glad I did.
• Stay motivated – Negative comments can be a pain in the proverbial butt, but its okay to acknowledge your frustrations and then you need to swiftly move on.  Negativity doesn’t live here.
• Take a close look at your words and actions – It’s important to be honest with yourself and recognise what it takes to reach your goals. Live by your words as it aids in terms of consistency and perseverance.  Always keep it real with yourself.
• Create your village – The support of others gives us strength, makes us accountable, provides encouragement, and offers serious inspiration. You may need to find support from somewhere besides your family and friends. It is exceptionally comforting to engage with those who are on the same journey.

My journey over the past 14 months has taught me that it indeed takes a village to lose weight. I’m beyond grateful for the love and support of the health and fitness community, be it on social media, at the gym and even at work.  I’ve received the most valuable information and guidance from this community which has benefitted me tremendously.

The daily messages make living to inspire such a rewarding part of my life. Best of all I’ve met the most remarkably inspiring individuals, some of whom have become good friends.  I most certainly couldn’t have made it this far without my guys who spend their weekends indulging my fitness exploits and my healthy cooking experiments.

Fitness and health have become a way of life for us, all because I took that initial step of prioritising myself and I can honestly say that my family is reaping the rewards.

It is great to have support, but with or without it, you are strong enough to reach your goals.  You got this, so go smash them goals.

Follow Natasha on:
Website: https://fitlikemummy.blog/
Facebook and Instagram: @fitlikemummy

Thank you Natasha for sharing your story. Readers, let me know in the comments what you enjoyed about this story.