Follow Up on Accountability

girl in fredericksburg

As promised, I’m back with a follow-up from my accountability post from a few weeks ago!

And like I mentioned before, there will be no reference to weight gain, weight loss, or sizes. 

Contrary to the FASTer Way to Fat Loss name, this is strictly a follow-up on mental health and overall well-being. 

That said, I am including some before and after photos. 

The difference is, these are photos that are everyday snaps where I feel like I’m seeing a happier, more authentic version of myself after making some major lifestyle shifts. 

No, I don’t follow clean eating or macros to a T. And I surely don’t live in the gym… on any level 🙃.

But here’s what I have worked on over the last round and a half of the program…

  • The happiest change is just letting myself off the hook when I don’t follow everything “perfectly”. Progress, not perfection.
  • One area that I’ve been thriving in unexpectedly is the FASTer Way eating schedule. I’ve been eating between 11am –  7pm. And honestly, I thought I’d be dragging in the mornings to make it that far. Surprisingly, it’s given me a boost of energy, majorly limited bloating, and the feeling of overeating. Which is all a big deal for a self-proclaimed emotional eater. 
  • I took a big step back from eating out and drinking. Not only is this a major money saver but also less temptation to veer from clean eating. If I did/do eat out, I try to make sure it’s something veggie and protein-heavy. Though I do still cheat for enjoying a social life, etc!
  • I’ve got my daily vitamin game going strong again!
  • I bought myself a few new staple pieces of clothing that I feel confident in as I am. No more “I’ll buy this when…” in relation to having to lose weight/change myself to “earn” something.
  • I’ve been sticking with therapy each week. Even when I feel like “I have nothing to talk about today, is this even worth it?”, I still show up and it’s proving to always be worth it. 

I’ve also fully weaned off of my post-partum Zoloft regime that became the daily norm because of a comfort zone.

This was a very slow change that’s been in progress for a while through intensive therapy after Mom passed.

before and after photo

It might seem counterintuitive to go “off” of anxiety medication during a trying time. But it has been helpful in feeling like I have a clean slate to build from.

For instance, it’s helping a ton in realizing where my current emotional baseline is for both how I process life events and feelings from the past.

This way, I’m learning what is truly a trigger for me at this point in my life, versus something I’ve just been told (or have been telling myself over and over) for years.

It doesn’t mean I don’t feel anxious anymore.

I now look to my ride-or-die CBD regimen and cardio for shaking those heavy feelings.

But it is helping me to mask feelings or pretend they aren’t there. 

girl holding vitamins

Ironically, that’s been one change that has naturally propelled me into more of a workout routine for combatting negative feelings/excess aggression that I wasn’t anticipating. 

All of this to say, it’s been a major lifestyle shift over here the last few weeks.

And the accountability groups of the FASTer Way program have definitely helped keep me on a forward projection. 

Do I think the program is for everyone? No, I do not. Do I still think the program name is super misleading? Yes, yes I do.

I would, however, also highly recommend it for someone looking to get a swift reboot of their current habits. 

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6 thoughts on “Follow Up on Accountability”

  1. Thank you for this post. I’ve been going back and forth over Zoloft just because I feel like it does numb my feelings.

    Reply
    • Thank you, Kjellander! It’s such a catch 22 with anti-depressants. They’re so helpful but like you said, they can be numbing. Definitely lots of pro’s and con’s. They were much needed in the beginning but we didn’t want it to be dependent.

      Reply
  2. I love love love the Ritual vitamins!!! Thinking about EQ as well. I know anna mae groves has had great luck w/ using it for anxiety. You have an inner spark that is easy to see. Keep doing what makes you feel joyful.

    Reply

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