Back in school I always remember getting changed and a kid shouting out to everyone that I had big nipples.
And I can remember feeling really shocked and embarrassed. This wasn’t something I’d thought about before until this one guy had said it…
And now everyone in the PE changing room is stood there laughing at me, it was horrible!
Almost overnight I became so body-conscious…
I didn’t want to take my top off anymore…
I didn’t want to go on holiday with my family in fear of having to take my shirt off on the beach…
And I become obsessed with going to the gym and dieting to change the way I looked.
My logic was if I was to lift weights and build muscle I could change the shape of my chest and by dieting aggressively all year round I could be super lean and have nipples like everyone else…
The gym, the strict diets, the obsessive nature of changing my body completely distorted the way I thought I was supposed to look.
I became so obsessed with being in shape that if my diet waivered slightly off track I’d feel like sh**, and punish myself by making myself eat more and more until I reached a point of wanting to be sick.
I had no respect for my own body anymore.
This continued for a few years and I tried loads of different diets and training routines to stay in shape without getting the body that I wished for.
Then as I moved cities and went to university, I decided to take up running, which was originally for no other reason than to help me lose a bit of weight, keep it off, and feel comfortable in my own skin.
When I started I really enjoyed it and committed to it 3 times a week.
One thing surprised me tho and was something I wasn’t expecting…
Was the huge mindset shift quite early on into running.
Running had completely changed the way I was eating, training, and viewing my body.
All of a sudden my focus was –
“How could I be a better runner”
As opposed to…
“What should I eat and do in the gym to look better in a t-shirt”
I feel like running gave me something else to focus on. It took away my obsessive focus on my body and weight...
It’s the reason I’m now comfortable in my own skin…
And why I no longer have to worry about losing weight or that the weight will all of a sudden pile back on.
As well as the health benefits to running… YOU FEEL AMAZING DOING IT!
This is why I’m so passionate about running!