From the Archives - Love Yourself

Over the years I have used social media, namely Facebook, as a place to express my feelings and share with others. I have always enjoyed writing and hope that my words touch someone, just when they might need it. As I seek to find my inspiration for writing once again, I have decided to go through and share some of those posts to save here in my blog. This one in particular seemed to touch a lot of people based on the response it originally received. Enjoy! xoRobin

Originally written and published on December 28, 2021:

Good morning friends. I don't know why I felt compelled to write this, but if you've been friends with me for more than 5 minutes you know that I've constantly been on a health/weight loss journey over the years. Really it started when I was 15 and lived in KS for a short time and got involved in sports. That triggered hunger in me and I began drinking more milk and eating more all-together to keep up with the hunger that the workouts and athletic exertion were creating. I remember moving back to Arizona and I was pleasantly plump for a quick minute, but I managed to easily lose that weight...I was a teen with a great metabolism. Then came babies and now dare I say it "pre-menopause"...regardless the reason, over the years I have fluctuated up and down.

I have been involved in weightlifting and bodybuilding, I had a very active health blog committed to a Paleo/Primal way of life and I was even a fitness champion at one time for a well-known bodybuilding guru (many of you know who that is, because that's how we met). I have been on pretty much every program out there...not because I wanted to be on a "program", but it was constant evolving of learning more about health and fitness over the years for the most part. At one point I went from being that "champion" to restarting a career that was a balance of desk job or living out of hotel rooms and not eating properly when on the road. Through all of this the biggest thing I gained was self-doubt and disappointment when I'm not at my physical best.

The past 6 months or so I had somewhat of a mindset change. My grandmother lived to be a month shy of her 101st birthday and for the 42 years that I knew her she was trying to get rid of that last 10 pounds. Literally until her final year of life she talked about that 10 pounds. She didn't drink, she didn't smoke, she drank green tea and took her supplements, she ate home cooked meals and she exercised daily to whatever capacity for her age that was. When she was young it was playing basketball, when she got older it was swimming and when she got in the last decade of her life she still did some swimming and would do daily "laps" around the home in her walker or stand at the counter to do leg exercises. She enjoyed a small glass of red wine most evenings. When she made her journey to heaven...do you know that not one single person cared that she was 10lbs overweight? Do you know what we see when we look at her pictures? We see a beautiful, spry, intelligent, caring, loving woman. We don't see 10lbs.

January 1st is coming and you are about to be inundated with lots of ads for products and programs. Don't get me wrong, if you are unhappy, unhealthy, or simply uninspired at this time in your life and you are seeking something...that too is perfectly fine. Just don't let an ad or any one person tell you how you should be feeling. Many of you, my dear friends are very active in the health and fitness community and I appreciate when you want to help others. Do your thing, please know this post in no way is directed towards you and the work you are doing. This post is for my friends who are just on a mission to be self accepting and love who they are each day.

Keep trying to stay healthy, get some fresh air each day, do something that makes you happy, eat a few more veggies and a little less sugar...move that body. Maybe you like to ride bikes or go for walks or do yoga...do more of that and less of what you "think" you have to do. Don't obsess about numbers or about how that picture makes you look "fat" so you don't like it. Look at the picture again and look to see that it's full of your family and friends who you love with your entire being. Look at the smiles on your faces or the heads thrown back in laughter. Stop looking for the muffin top or the double chin. Focus on what the picture is really about.

​Life has been anything but easy the past couple of years. Give yourself a break and love yourself a little more. One day many people are going to miss you and what you leave behind goes way beyond any physical insecurities you have. Get rid of things that are holding you back and just keep livin'! You are important, beautiful and special just as you are. Love you and stay well!