Sweet Sugary Self-Appreciation :)

Hey Peeps,

So I didn’t do anything today because I was sitting in my sister’s flat waiting for the gas man. I was meant to do a HIIT workout but I had an epic session at the gym yesterday so I took a break. Unfortunately, my sister does not have fruits in her house or food that I would call decent lol. She only had chocolate, popcorn, crackers, crisps and biscuits. I’m sure you can guess that I more than indulged on the sugary gifts. My sister is incredibly generous and wouldn’t care if you finished the lot so I had no sense of boundaries!

It got me thinking, why can’t I just say no? I decided to do some research and I stumbled on sugar addiction. Guys, I think I’m a sugar addict. I have previously lost weight at a slow and steady rate. I found it much easier and I lost approximately a stone and a half. I must admit the motivation was different then but its proof that I can do it. I just have to find the reason as to why it’s not working this time. So I reckon I have an addiction to sugar.

Here is how I came to that conclusion –

The 4 factors that determine you are a sugar addict:

1. If you need to cheer up, you reach for something sweet such as chocolate. Or you may crave dessert straight after a meal or a sweet snack straight after exercise.
2. Walking pass something sweet is not an option. You WILL pick it up!
3. You prefer sweet foods over savoury foods.
4. You experience mood swings or headaches if you go a day without something sweet.

If you experience any one of these factors, you are a sugar addict… apparently. Well, points one to three resonate with me so I reckon this speaks the truth BUT apart from factor 4, I think if you experience ONLY ONE of the points, I think that’s perfectly normal. I know that as a woman, my cravings heighten about a week before my period is due. Everyone has their time when they seem to eat everything so take the above information lightly. As conscious people, we know when there is a problem so if you are struggling with weight loss, maybe look at how much sugar you are consuming.

Based on my research, I may do a challenge where I cut down on ‘artificial’ sugars. So I won’t cut out foods like fruit that have natural sugars but I won’t buy chocolate, bread or other processed foods. I mean I’ve done something similar before but the point is being more conscious about what I’m putting into my body. Also, I would do it for two weeks because they say it takes 14 days to break a habit.

A  R E V E L A T I O N! I stood in my underwear while looking in a full length mirror and just had a good ole look at myself. Okay, so I hate feet, everyone’s feet including my own so no prejudice there and not really worth mentioning. I’m impressed with my legs though, from ankle up to my thighs. Last week, my friend commented on my hamstrings and made me notice the progress. If I need to work on anything, it will be my calves but I’m not too fussed. I adore the shapeliness of my thighs and hope that I can maintain the size of them!

Moving up, my derriere. It’s always been big except when I went down to a size 10. I will NEVER try to be a size 10 again for that reason! I like its size and the shape has definitely changed since I’ve experimented with different weighted exercises. It’s there and it’s staying! I’m happy for that. Okay, here it goes a bit downhill… my belly. Some people have stomachs, others have tummies but I have a belly. This is problem area number 1. It protrudes but it doesn’t hang unless I wear jeans that were not made for my body shape! I hate it and I really want it to leave me the hell alone. My eating habits are what stands between the image in my head and the image in the mirror. I have increased my cardio and do way more ab work than ever before. You know what they say, abs are made in the kitchen. Ugh.

I also have waist. I know it will be emphasised when I lose the weight around my belly but it’s definitely very feminine and is doing what I want it to do. I have the waist of a curvy black woman and that has always been the goal! Up a bit are my boobs! I won’t share my bra size but my breasts are more than ample. I have been the same bra size (more or less) since I was 14. I started developing very young. I had breasts in primary school! (My cousins were the same and I have a teenaged niece who has followed in our footsteps – bless her!) I love them and they can never leave me. Yes, they could be a little firmer, a little more lifted but that’s what happens when you are a certain size – kids or no kids!

My beloved arms and shoulders. My absolute favourite body part. No matter how big I get, my arms stay slim and toned. Now that I have been working on my upper body strength, I use my arms a lot more. Some of my friends (especially my gym buddy) have noticed the change of shape in my arms and warn me about becoming ‘manly’ (rolls eyes). I’m proud of the toned appearance and I’m f***ing glad you can see the muscles! You better see the muscles especially after the work I’ve been putting in! I even had a man come up to me and say, “don’t overdo it. You still want to look like a lady.” So I said, “Mate, I want to be stronger than you! So I’ve gotta carry on,” so I did! I love my arms and if you can see the progress, just congratulate me. You men that like to make such obnoxious comments about fit women, pipe down mate, pump up the testosterone and stop looking like an insecure douchebag! Most women are not doing this for men. We do it because we have the power to be physically strong thanks to the recent fitness movement. Carry on girls!

Now for problem area number 2. My face. Okay, I don’t believe that I am ugly so please don’t get it confused. I like my full lips. Like I’ve said in a previous post, I have a complex about my nose (read previous posts for reason). I used to like my eyes but during my break-up depression, I developed sties under my eyes as a consequence of the stress. I went to see a doctor and was told that they will go. They didn’t. Instead the fluid hardened and created ‘scars’. I was referred as an outpatient to the hospital where they specialise in removing lumps and bumps and other minor operatic procedures. Cut a long story short, I was put under anaesthetic, my eyelids were clamped and the doctor used apparatus to squeeze the hard bits out of my eyes. It worked better on one of the eyes and the other still has a swollen appearance. It will be this way forever. I reckon if I saved up for cosmetic surgery, all will be how I want it to be but let’s be realistic – I’ve got bigger fish to fry. Saying that, I like my eyelashes as they are naturally long. At the moment my eyebrows need threading but I’m not hung up on that.

When I’m stressed, I also get spots in my ears (alongside every other thing my body has to go through) and you’ve guessed it – spots are currently in my ears. It hurts a lot but I just have to wait it out. Other than that, I have no problem with my ears. Last but not least, my natural afro hair. I love my hair like this but because it’s all new to me, I do have days when I struggle with what to do with it. I have figured out a great bedtime routine which helps with managing my hair in the mornings. I’m trying to figure out which styles won’t pull at my delicate edges but still make me look my age. It’s undeniably difficult. I already look younger than my age and the styles that I can do within a 15 minute time limit, are not very 27-year-old-ish. Right now, my hair is in twists as it reminds me of the convenience of braids. I like it but it gets boring after a few days. I’ll figure it out. Today, I had a good hair day!

All in all, I think you would agree that I had a satisfactory self-confidence/self-love day! I’m taking it and running! I want to celebrate these moments. Oh, I bought a great pair of high-waisted jeans that fit like a glove. I love it when that happens! Anyway, here are pictures of my face to make me face (?) up to it all and just appreciate the positives. I look like the most beautiful woman in the world, my mum, and I have a good complexion from my face to my body.

Here it is. ALL OF MY FACE. ALL OF IT.

I quite like this one. Gulp.

Plus, I found pictures of this magnificent woman on Instagram. Just look at her body.

Body Inspo. Who is she?! ❤

Absolutely beautiful. Her body is exactly what I am aiming for. A new and more realistic body inspo (because I think if my belly becomes more toned and the other body parts don’t change too much, I could achieve this). In the second picture, her tummy (not belly) is not flat but I love how she obviously doesn’t care and it’s still quite toned in my eyes. YAAASSS!

Hopefully you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing my thoughts down!

Ciao for now,

~ Nay x

Mirrors are just glass and you are more than that.