I debated not writing this blog post – I prepped it, then thought ‘Ahh, no…can’t do that’ time and time again. It’s pretty raw and vulnerable. However, I had to take myself out of the equation. If this helps just one person live a healthier, more vibrant life I will be happy.
So here goes nothing…
Many, many people questioned me when I said I was entering a fitness competition. “But Sam, you are an advocate for healthy eating, living a balanced life, not restricting and certainly not dieting – what are you thinking”
I didn’t want to shout too much about my motivation by doing this, but I’m now ready to share with the world why I dove head first into this 6-month journey of sacrifice, pain, pressure and self-discovery.
Let me start off on a high before I drop a bomb on you…
The six months I blocked out of my life to compete in my first fitness competition wasn’t to look good, impress people on Facebook or to have a sweet ass. My motivation stemmed from a curiosity which many women and men face. I wanted to discover if being my fittest state had any correlation to my internal happiness.
I hired one of the best coaches in the city who took every precaution in order to effectively guide me through this process in the healthiest way possible. The lessons I learned during this journey were priceless.
Self Discipline – I identified with a whole new level of self-discipline – to the 9th degree. Sacrificing not only my social life, but simple pleasures in life (like Oreos & chocolate cake) to achieve a goal. This lesson can now translate into other parts of my life which is something I will be forever grateful for.
Mindset – The power of the mind is incredible. Napoleon Hill nailed it with this quote “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve” Setting a goal, staying focused and achieving it feels pretty damn good!
Despite the wonderful lessons of self-discovery and sense of achievement, I can wholeheartedly say my happiness & acceptance of my body began to suffer. It was a definite struggle to not become obsessed with every calorie I put in my body. I had to keep checking in with my ‘why’ for doing this, however, it was a pure struggle at times. I remember eating peanut butter in the bathroom at a business conference, sleeping throughout the day to ignore food cravings & accurately measuring out 3oz of tasteless white fish 6 times a day.
Believe it or not, I’m 20 pounds heavier today than I was last May. However – I feel happier, definitely healthier and my energy levels are higher than ever. My ‘little’ experiment proved to me that my body size doesn’t dictate my happiness. This for me was a HUGE relief. We’ve all been wrapped up in the vicious diet cycle desperately searching for a feeling. That feeling is happiness. Somewhere along the line, we were told being a smaller size will elevate happiness. This fallacious message still consumes the minds of women and men worldwide, so we diet, over-exercise & obsess over our bodies in order to achieve happiness.
I’m here to tell you, I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt and it couldn't be further from the truth. Pure joy and internal happiness come from within, at any size. Embracing your current size, being compassionate towards yourself and accepting your body is the purest form of self-love we can achieve.
My main purpose, passion & goal in life is to empower women and men worldwide to embrace their bodies & live from a place of self-love & total acceptance. We are all in this together…
Sending love – from my heart to yours…
Ps – If you're ready to take the next step and finally end your battle with food, you're ready for the Society. Click here to apply.