What IS The Cost of Being Healthy? -- Part III: Emotional Costs

The 3rd part of my “Costs of Being Healthy” is going to be emotional costs.  You might be sitting there wondering how emotions can play a part in your road to a healthy lifestyle.  I’m not going to sit here and harp on how you should be a happy person all the time or be someone who’s always giddy or overly excited.  Honestly, that’s NOT me.  However, the way you feel about certain things has a direct impact on how you deal with health, fitness, and overall well-being.  

There are a couple different points that I would like to touch on in this portion with the first one being self-esteem.  Let’s be honest, if you know me at all, you know that I have not always been the most beautiful woman on the planet, the smartest, or the most athletic.  If I were any of those things, I wouldn’t be writing this blog.  There are people who truly believe they can’t do anything because they aren’t good enough.  I felt that way for a long time until I realized that I WAS good enough.  I had the right to be happy and fulfilled.  I always viewed myself as the fat slob that everyone always made me out to be.  I get that.  The way you look at yourself directly affects your attitude.  If you feel like you aren’t good enough, you’re going to feel like you deserve to be alone or in a constant state of self-loathing.  On the flip side, if you feel like you’re worth a million bucks every time you check yourself out in the mirror, you’re going to be confident and excited to start the new day.  

Here is a little story about someone I know.  For years, my friend was angry.  Angry because of life events that didn’t go the way they should have.  Angry because the people who were suppose to be there, weren’t.  For years my friend moped around, bouncing from relationship to relationship, bar to bar, one crash diet to another crash diet.  My friend wasn’t the best person they knew how to be.  They saw themselves as worthless and felt like their life was unfulfilled.  One day, my friend decided to change their life by becoming part of something much bigger than themselves.  This motivated my friend to see things through a clearer pane of glass than before and this encouraged my friend to be the best they could be not just for themselves, but for the future too.  Now my friend has a spouse and a family.  My friend is doing things they never thought possible 7 or 8 years ago.  Granted, everyone has bad days but my friend is no where near that dark, dismal hole they once were in.  What changed?  The vision to be a better version of themselves.  

I tell that story because that friend of mine is very close to me and someone I admire.  Someone that pushes me everyday to be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, niece, and granddaughter.  That person challenges me and makes me think.  I can’t thank them enough.  Without them, I wouldn’t be writing this blog at all!  

So getting back to self-esteem… when you look in the mirror, what do you see?  Do you see someone who’s just going through the motions?  Or do you see someone who’s confident, with their head held high?  I use to be the one going through the motions but now I’m the one who’s confident enough in my ability that I can help someone else!  The best way I know to improve self-esteem is to start by having some positive thoughts everyday.  Instead of focusing on the negative and thinking of anything that can go wrong, think of what can go RIGHT!  You would be amazed at the way you feel when you have positive thoughts.

The second point I’d like to touch on in this portion is the idea that you will fail.  Some people are scared to fail and that’s why they don’t even try.  In life, there are things you’re going to be good at and there are things that you aren’t going to be good at.  Me, personally, I am NOT good at fixing cars or sitting down to make a budget.  I’m not good at arts and crafts.  Before starting my journey, I wasn’t good at working out.  I am good at things like planning and organization, managing people and events, taking care of my children, and swimming.  Since starting my journey in October, I am better at running, circuit training, and using resistance bands.  I didn’t become good at these things overnight.  I didn’t become good at these things in a week or even 2 weeks.  It took at least 3 to 4 weeks of doing the actions to get right.  

I caught on to the 21 Day Fix meal plan pretty quickly but some people don’t catch on as quickly.  Sometimes they feel overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure.  That’s OK to feel that way.  That means you’re making a change.  You can’t worry about it.  You’re starting something new.  You’re not always going to be great at everything and you’re definitely not going to master something new on the first day!  If it takes you time, so be it.  It will get easier and the change will seem further away.  Your body will adapt to new things you’re feeding it and you will learn to love yourself.  

One thing that Beachbody has taught me so far is that you will fail forward.  Failing forward simply put is when you don’t achieve the results you want but you’ve learned something from that experience.  I know that I’m not good at push-ups but that pushes me to try harder and even though I modify the workout, I still try to get 2 or 3 good ones in!  Don’t be afraid all the time.  Take charge of your life and learn from your mistakes.  

In conclusion of this portion, I’d like to recap by asking you to do me a favor.  Go to the mirror and ask yourself these questions: Do you like who you see?  Do you want to be better in some part of your life?  Do you want to learn something new?  Are you ready to make a change in your life?  Let me know the answers to those questions by sending me an email at hstilianidis@gmail.com.  I’m not a therapist or a counselor, but I’d love to hear what your answers are to those questions.