Jessica Castaneda: Learning to Love Herself and Win her Wars

Hello, my name is Jessica and I am 26 years old.

Some say I look younger, others think I am older—I really don't care because all that matters to me is that I am happy. Truly happy. I can say that for the very first time in my life I don't have to pretend. I know there is nothing wrong with me and I am beautiful and perfect the way that I am now.

You may be wondering why my happiness is relevant on this post. Well, I would like to share a little bit of my story with you; please just take my story as Hope and know that you can DO IT!!

My story begins 5 years ago. When I was 21, I used to weigh 250 pounds. Take into consideration that I am 5'1''—I am really short and back then I was obese. At that time I wanted to serve a mission for my church (I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and I needed to lose weight in order to be able to serve. So I went from 250 lb. to 186 lb. in about a year, which was awesome but not easy. I had to overcome ME, in order to make it happen.

I remember the first time I went to the gym I was wearing gray sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt. They were really tight on me :) but that was not the problem—the problem was that I felt I was the only fat person at the gym. Everyone was really fit and looked so good, so I felt like it was better for me to leave because all the girls around me were fit, beautiful and super-fast. It took a lot of courage to start, but I did. I started with 30 minutes a day that felt like 10 hours. From there, it went up to 1 hour, then 1:30 and 2 hours right before I had to stop in order to be a missionary for my church. So as a missionary I gained 40 pounds in 18 months, so once again if felt like I was back at square one. 186 + 40= 226 pounds. Even though it was not 250, I was kind of close, but I did it and since then if have not stopped.

Today my weight is 162 pounds, still about 32 pounds away from my goal, but a total of about 88 pounds :). At times it felt and continues to feel like my goal is too far away, but I keep reminding myself that this process is one step at a time. If we do it too fast it’s not healthy. If if starve myself in order to lose weight, it might work but if would be losing muscle instead of fat and in the long run it simply would not work. If I keep comparing myself to all the other girls at the gym all the time, the only one who is going to get hurt is me. If I go for the easy way, it is never going to last.

So after I got back to my normal schedule I went from 226 to 195 on my own, but it took me a long time—I think it was about a year! Even though I was working out like a beast, between swimming, running and lifting weights, I was able to lose just 31 pounds in a year. So then I realized that I was not eating properly. I was not eating unhealthily—no fast food, no junk food, no soda, no bread, a pretty clean diet, and I was not starving myself either. But I was not giving my body the proper nutrients. I was not being smart about eating even though I was working out.

Long story short, I met Kristy and talked to her about my goals and asked if she could help me. Thankfully, she did, so I started the Power Foods Lifestyle in September. At the time I was 195 and from September 2013 to January 2014 I have gone from 195 to 162 lb. I have lost 38 pounds in 4 months. As you can see, it is all about eating smart. :)

Losing weight is not easy—to actually lose weight, the first thing we need to change is our mindset. We have to understand that we are losing weight because we love ourselves and our bodies because we realize and accept that we have a problem and that we want to live a good life where we don't have to worry about diabetes at 21, or any other diseases. But if you are past your 20s, 30s, 40s, or 50s and have diabetes, high blood pressure, or are simply overweight or obese, let me tell you it is NEVER TOO LATE.

I finally realize that I am happy, not because I am smaller, but because I learned to love myself. I learned that I don't need to compare myself to anyone but the person I was yesterday. There might be someone faster or stronger than me, but no one has been through what I have been through; therefore, to compare myself is useless because I am fighting against my own fears, insecurities, and weaknesses. Because of that I realize that I am Powerful, Strong, Beautiful, and Great, and SO ARE YOU.

And sometimes, it is okay if we lose control or fall. It happens. We are human, but giving up is not an option. YOU ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND OR YOUR WORST ENEMY. Pick a side and be your friend. Understand that in this process, sometimes we have to lose a battle, but we won’t lose our war. As long as we win the war, losing control or falling once in a while helps us to become stronger that we were yesterday.

#weightloss #powerfoodslifestyle