Allow myself to introduce....myself (LOOONG)

[MrsHal07]

Hi everyone! I just sound this site last night while reading about Paleo. It looks like the type of people I could actually talk with, so I joined up. I tend to be long-winded, so feel free to skim to the last paragraph or so!

 

My name is Cari I live just outside of New Orleans, LA. I've been married for 6 years. The husband and I don't have human kids yet, we plan to try soon. We do have two Chihuahuas who are spoiled rotten. Oh, and I'm 31.

 

I think my main motivation for joining is I need a change. Not from the husband or anything (!) just my state of mind. I battled severe depression and eating disorders as a teen. I was eventually diagnosed with Borderline Personality.  I graduated high school and was accepted with a full scholarship to Tulane University, but I didn't do squat with it. Instead I let my mental illness take over and got involved with a boy who was abusive. I was never smart enough or thin enough didn't wear the right clothes, whatever. I failed out and went to work. I got with a great therapist who worked with me for 18 months. Then I met my husband. Now I work as a secretary and I hate it.  It just depresses me, no offense to anyone else who is a secretary, I'm not saying its an awful job. I love the people I work with, but I feel so intellectually deprived. My job gives me no satisfaction whatever. I re-started school last year, hoping to work my way up to becoming a licensed Social Worker.

 

I have Hashimoto's, diagnosed along with high blood pressure at 17. The funny thing is, I was never big. I danced (ballet) for years and years. While I have always been curvy, I was never overweight. After Tulane, I put on so much weight, and can't get it off. I don't eat that bad, but I know it could be better. We cook every night, and bring leftovers for lunch every day. We eat tons of pork, chicken and turkey. We rarely eat beef, unless to make hamburgers. No added salt. Lots of frozen veggies. But lots of pasta with homemade red sauces and I love to bake. So, there's the problem. I hate to exercise. I've never found anything I just enjoy doing. I don't ride a bike after 10k worth of plastic surgery because of one. I just get bored. I started riding my stationary bike, this is week #4 of doing it 3-4 times every morning.

 

Besides losing weight, I need to work on my mindfulness. I find myself comparing myself and beating myself up. Rather than giving myself credit for surviving an abusive childhood and mental illness, I look at the things I've failed at. I look at my cousin, the 30 year old MD/PHD with a child and say I could've done that. I look at what I don't have. We don't have kids yet. And I find myself slipping again. My husband is great at being my cheerleader but I need to learn to just be ok. Be happy with who I am and what I have and I what I have accomplished.

 

So basically, get healthy, lose weight, love myself. In a nutshell. So, here we go!!

 

[Laureleye]

Hi Cari.  I haven't been diagnosed with Hashimoto's, but I am hypothyroid.  Of course my doctor's got me on synthetic hormones but I still wasn't feeling like "myself",  I have seen a big improvement since I cleaned up my diet and changed my workout routines.  I was a secretary when I was young - it wasn't something I was cut out for either. 

 

I don't want to leave the world's longest response, so if you'd like some help send me a message (hover over my name and you'll see the option).  Good luck on your journey back.