(ThyBlackMan.com) In January of 2014, I visited the doctors’ office. I just turned 22 on December 15th, was back in school, and just got promoted at my job. Life was good, so I thought.
I weighed 292 pounds and was pre-diabetic, according to my doctor. I could not believe it; the good life I was living was a fabrication of my perspective. But lowkey, I already knew this.
My doctor told me I had to make radical changes with my diet and lifestyle, and it had to start today.
Gone were the days of eating junk food by the quantity and thinking daily fast food runs were quality. In three months, I lost 26 pounds while also hitting the gym a few times a week.
But old habits die hard, and I got comfortable once again. By June of 2015, I was back to my old ways, eating whole pizzas, many honey buns and big bags of lifesavers on the regular. I gained nearly half the weight back when I went back to the doctors’ office a year and a half later.
That morning, the scale read 278 pounds. I knew right then and there that I could no longer short cut the process. I had to go through it.
I left determined to get the weight off that day: June 13th, 2015, to be exact. I went to the gym that afternoon, and from that day forward, I have never missed more than three days of working out in a week since. The result? I currently weigh 177 pounds. The quarantine has me going on 3-5 mile runs daily. It is a part of me now.
I say all of this to congratulate Adele for her stunning weight loss. It was her birthday, May 5th, and she shocked the world with a slimmer look. As one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, her lifestyle will always be demanding, so it may have been hard for her to get right over the years. But she did it, and she looks great.
The problem that is happening now is the excellent place of social media is providing a platform that is letting those who may not be the happiest in their skin let Adele and the rest of the world know that the number on the scale does not equate to happiness or beauty. Here is a good question, though: who has ever said it did?
We all have choices in life. We choose to eat, sleep, or work as much as we want. We also get to decide whether we want to live our life healthily. Sure, there are genetic disadvantages for most, but it does not take away our choices, nonetheless. When I stepped off the scale nearly five years ago, I chose to become obsessed with fitness. And I did. Adele decided to make a change, and she did, too.
But a significant component of human nature is seeing through people and their behaviors. The critics who say Adele may have been unhappy with herself? They are the ones probably not happy with their own selves. We lie to ourselves that we are fine, living in an unhealthy fashion. But most likely, we hate how we look and feel. In my near-300-pound days, I knew that eating whole pizzas or eating two burgers with a large fry before work was terrible. But I liked being comfortable: it was easy to do and be. I decided I would pay the price for feeling yucky later.
Losing weight does not mean you do not think you are beautiful or handsome. But it does say that you care about your lifestyle and want to make a change. In Adele’s case, she highlights how hard it is to look at yourself in the mirror and make changes, while social media gives those who like being comfortable a choice to stay there.
So, I get it, losing 115 pounds was hard for me. And it is hard to keep it off. It is not easy to go out with friends and eat salads or skip over seconds of desserts. It is even hard at times to be a part of the 5 AM workout crew before work. But those small decisions led to my weight and shape now. Adele had to make similar decisions, too, and she reaped the benefits. Sadly, she also represents a big F you to those who are choosing to stay comfortable instead of making a change. So How hard is it to be happy for Adele? It depends on how glad you are with yourself. I used to be on the other side of the coin, so I know how the trolls and critics feel.
Music Editor; Brad Washington
Also connect with this brother through Twitter; http://twitter.com/theGURO15.