What Others See
By Anielle Kane
@Ani_Elle (30)
February 27, 2017 8:54am CST
No one sees exactly what another sees, especially when it comes to ourselves. When I was younger I was told I was gaining weight rapidly but I didn't see it until I was 12 and weighed nearly 200 pounds when just 5 years before I was a skinny stick of a person. I exercised and ate right yet we don't know why I was gaining weight. Several visits to the doctors left us befuddled with no answers only more dietary work.
It wasn't until last year that I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Having used up all of my sick days I lost pay for missing an extra two days I had no coverage for I ended up getting a ride from my aunt to see the one doctor in town who saw patients without health insurance for $50. On my chart was listed "gluten intolerance" as I was previously diagnosed with non-celiac gluten intolerance and was told I only needed to cut back not go 100% gluten free. He palpitated and listened to my gallbladder. He told me that based on that evidence alone I was suffering from celiac disease and that my gallbladder would literally explode inside of me unless I stopped eating gluten that day.
Going gluten free enabled me to lose 10 pounds taking me from 220 to 210. However losing weight from the diet alone was no longer working so I began working out at the end of last year. Between getting sick with a virus going around school, the flu, and bruising my entire left foot from adjusting to workout shoes I felt I hadn't lost any weight at all. I don't own a bathroom scale so I have no way of knowing other than how I feel when I look in the mirror.
Family and friends have commented recently on how much weight I've lost, but my jeans aren't any looser, my shirts still ride up over my round belly, and so on. I don't see a physical change and I don't feel it either. Yet who am I to tell a person complimenting me "no you're wrong I haven't changed at all"?
3 people like this
2 responses
@Ani_Elle (30)
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27 Feb 17
Thanks, I suppose I also don't see the weight loss because that isn't my goal. My goal isn't to lose some pounds or look prettier by it, rather my goal is to alleviate some health issues not associated with my weight but would do better or be better managed with exercise. Such as my spine, I teach every day which is standing and sitting not much walking in my tiny 6x6 ft room, then I come home and watch tv, get up long enough to go to the kitchen to sit at the table for dinner then after i sit at my computer. Adding more movement into my day for 30-40 minutes keeps my back muscles in control and will help to prevent paralysis (an issue I faced 5 years ago where I spent 3 days paralyzed from the neck down, like a new born child I had no control of my neck and back and my head would fall backwards).
1 person likes this
@Ani_Elle (30)
•
27 Feb 17
@avi256 That's what I've been doing. Walking, cardio, yoga, even when I couldn't walk last week (injured my foot while working out) I found ways to do do "legless" workouts such as propping my feet up while doing crunches, or working out my arms. I'm doing 30 minutes to an hour of working out each day. Today my work out was unintended but my usual ride home from work is leaving early so I'm walking to a meet up point for my boyfriend to pick me up once he gets out of work, its about a 30-35 minute walk (two miles) so it will do me some good today.
Yesterday I went out and played soccer with my boyfriend and our roommates I feel better I just don't see the physical results everyone else does :)
