Alina Karas

living with depression

tomorrowjessicatron:

If you know someone going through this, listening is worth more than anything.

And if you’re going through this, know that you are not alone.

I don’t want to go back to that place, ever.

Fitness update

Today I did Day 9 Level 1 of 30 Day Shred and boy, oh boy, I am in SO much pain now! My calves are on fire (not sure why, but probably because I’ve been doing proper full squats) and my arms/shoulders are aching - but that’s probably because I did half a set of REAL PUSH-UPS! I was very pleased with myself yesterday but now I am dying…

Tomorrow is Day 10 and on Tuesday I’m moving on to Level 2… I’m a little bit scared of it!

Day 13: your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it

It’s a definitely love-hate relationship; I should say that it all depends on a day – one day I like my body, I am comfortable with my curves and I dress to accentuate them, and other day I will be hating it and trying to cover my wobbly bits under boring clothes. Of course I want to be thinner, fitter and look like Miranda Kerr (although this will never happen). I’ve finally realised that my body is like this because of how I treat it, so if I treat it rightly, it will serve me well and it will look good, too.

I’ve never been a very active kid – I would skip PE classes, I would do the bare minimum. I would swim, but I wouldn’t stick to it to be able to see (and feel) the results. I would cycle, but only for pleasure, not for building up resistance. Etc etc. So I never had a flat stomach and very toned legs. I neglected the importance of a healthy lifestyle and diet and ate chocolate and junk food.

Before getting married I joined a gym and started eating healthy and I really got into it. I noticed the difference very quickly and I loved the way I felt and looked on my wedding day. Then the reality kicked in with working late, going out a lot and not having time or energy to hit the gym. So I’ve put on weight and this (combined with other problems) made me very miserable.

Only recently it hit me, after having some problems, that I can’t be fully healthy and happy with myself, without having my mind working in a tandem with my body. I would notice that whenever I was feeling ‘fat’, I would automatically be more self-conscious, I would lose my confidence etc.

I am now trying to make the healthy lifestyle a lifetime habit – it takes time and energy to plan it, as I can’t start a diet just like that without much thought going into it. I am learning to understand what my body does for me and appreciate it with all its flaws.

I found this interesting article on how to love your body. To answer the question, I am quite comfortable with my body as it’s been serving me well, but I know that in order for it to work to its absolute best, I need to care for it, embrace it and love it. And this takes time!