Bernadine's The Body Shrink

HOW MY JOURNEY STARTED

 

 

A few years ago my husband told me that we will be moving to the USA.  Growing up in South Africa and staying there for most of my life, this was devastating and sad news to me.  I had to leave my friends behind but most of all my family and a successful career as a Preschool teacher. My husband had to move immediately and I stayed behind with our three kids.  It was very stressful of not having him around.  I had to finalize everything and sell most of our possessions and make sure that the rest is shipped.  

 

At first, the move and a new country was a shock to me.  Everything was unfamiliar and again I had no support structure. My husband traveled most of the time and I started eating when I was emotional and the weight just kept putting on. I used food as my security. I loved food and food loved me. I thought I could control the food. When I felt nervous, food was reassuring. When I was anxious food was soothing. When I was sad, food lifted me up. When no one was home, food was my babysitter. For every single emotion, I could turn to food and she would love me back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the first year, my dad passed away from cancer.  I blamed myself for not being there when he passed away.  All of this let me to be diagnosed with depression.  Some mornings I just couldn’t get out of bed, just to get dressed was an issue for me.  I started thinking of taking my own life. I was lost.  I told myself that if I do this everything will be OK.  My hubby will be fine and my kids will be fine and at that stage of my life, I was losing my husband as well. 

 

Then one morning after struggling out of bed I walked into the bathroom and stood before the mirror, is this the person you want to be, I asked myself.  I realized then that I am more than what I have become and that I deserve more in life. 


I started reading about nutrition and what foods to eat.  I started feeding my body with healthy nutritious foods and also started picking up all the pieces of my life.  But something else came on my path, my doctor discovered a lump in my one breast, and I had to go for a mammogram, I remembered that day, I felt scared and alone.  The sweetest words I heard was,  "we are happy to inform you that your mammogram showed no evidence of cancer".  I was even more determined to change my life. 

 

I learned about what is good for my body and how to give my body the right nutrients that it needs.  I lost 50 pounds in that first year, with lots and lots of perseverance I pushed through. There is still some days that I struggle or just feel down, but then I pick myself up and I know that I am so worth everything in life.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel like before my weight loss journey, I did not know who I was. I was living life day to day with no real purpose, no self-love, and no goals. It's kind of crazy how when you get your health on track, everything just falls into place. I know there are zillions of others out there in this world who know exactly what I am talking about and those are the people I hope to reach. We are all beautiful people who sometimes get lost in this crazy world. 

 

My journey taught me to Love myself, trust my choices, and remember what I deserve, and to keep pushing forward.  Today I am helping women to love their bodies, heal their innerselves to create permanent weight loss and to find their worthiness.  My journey is still going strong, I believe I can make a change.........