Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The next scary step......the scale

Its true what they say: a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. After blogging my heart out concerning the journey am embarking.  I received numerous calls and solidarity messages on my wall, my facebook inbox and mail box. I had so many messages I did not know people loved and cared for me that much. I was broken and yet felt some unusual warmth in my heart. I knew God was speaking to me through people.

Some even joined me in this journey and pludged to deal with their own issues. Especially for themselves.  I realised my life really is not my own. Ones courages propells others to take a stand and be confident in themselves. I sign of on my Gmail, believe in yourself and others will believe in you too.

Believe you can do it. Not just in weight loss. But that meeting they were avoiding, the education you postpone, the love you let go, the job you were meant to apply, that person you were meant to forgive...whatever the issue avoided: I have encouraged hundreds to deal/heal with their issues. Now that's being a vessel, God's vessel. Glory honour and power to him.

So I had to take another bold step.......the scale.

Coming face to face with the scale was going to be hectic, that I knew. I would be facing my reality head on. Gosh.. I kept postponing to get weighed. I knew this will be hard evidence of how much weight I was carrying around - literally and figuratively.  I mean who loves the scale? I hadn't been on one for 10years. I knew my dress size, hanti that's what's important? So ah, I didn't want to weigh myself.

So there I was, looking at the scale and freaking out. Nhai Mwari, do I have to do this? I knew I had to, because that is the only way I would track my weight loss, my healing and the process.  Besides I was to be calculated my weight height wat wat. Futi you can't just look in the mirror and see your body changing or shrinking, thats not dealing with issues. 

The scale! Empirical evidence. Vital! A real wake up call.

I got so angry, tears starting falling. I was burning with discomfort.  I didn't want to do it. No! Please. Why. It's just numbers. Ah. I experienced a breakdown I didn't anticipate. I was now craving comfort food, something salty actually. I was  overwhelmed. I was totally resisting to get weighed. My feet felt heavy, I couldn't lift them onto the scale. I was feeling crowded by the nurse who looked on to read the weight.  Right there she represented the world that would judge me harshly and shake their heads with disgust.

The pain was too much. I wanted to run, but I couldn't. Heish....it had to be done.

I told myself,  get a grip Tendi its the process - the dealing/healing process.  You have to see how heavy up you are too deal with the weight. The  parallel of the weight you caring in your heart, mind, soul and life.

The lady I had asked to help me looked confused.  She couldn't understand why just getting onto a scale would be so emotionally dramatic. Well I wiped my tears with my top, removed my shoes, closed my eyes and stepped onto the scale.

The nurse tapped me on the shoulder and told me there was no reading! Wtf! No reading! What do you mean? It gets upto 125kgs what do you mean there us no reading? Look again, I insisted now  claustrophobic,  pulputating and crying. Where was my mother? Why on eartg did I come for this weighing by myself? But you see somethings in life you should face along. Besides the honest truth of what I had done to myself was staring me in the face.

The nurse suggested I go to the one they used by butchers to weigh meat. Haaaa I cried, kuchema zvekuchema zviya zviya.. I was now in unweighable by normal scale they had to call in the big guns. ... for animals here veduwe? I sat on the follow thinking if i cry hard enough I will drown from my own tears.

I couldn't deal or bear. Anyway I gathered the whole of me. Called around, and found that animal scale. I went there quickly and was weighed quickly 133kgs heish thats overweight. I laughed when the man said to me; 'but you don't look it and you don't seen weighed down by your weight. You carry it well'. I smiled coz he made me feel better. I was a wrecking ball of anger hurt and guilt.

When I got home I cried myself to sleep. Woke up with swolken eyes at the sound of my alarm.Still depressed and It being the first day I was to exercise, I had my alarm set for 5am. And faithfully it went off at 5am. I silenced it quickly and went back to bed. i was thinking this is not possible. Am too much overweight and ah this is who i am. In my mind I was thinking.... if Peace doesn't wake me up to exercise well, thats it, you have given me a sign Lord that am fearky and wonderfully made. This is my category. In retrospect. ...really sokostina? Lolest.

Oh I know, you are all saints you dont have excuses for anything.  I do, especially this God give me a sign nonsense. Remember the devil is listening also, he can send counterfeit signs to slow you down.

She gently knocked at my door at 5:12am asking me whether my alarm was working. I grumply told her its working. She firmly instructed me to get dressed for exercise.

I wasn't sure what she had in store for me. I thought walking or jogging. She told me because I was unfit and overweight, we didn't want to hurt my ankles so yoga was the best place to start........... to be continued (blogged from my phone)

Monday, November 25, 2013

Finally embarking on the road i was avoiding for years

There is a lot of things i have avoided in my life, well i should say: avoided to DEAL/HEAL with. I have thought it is better to let sleeping dogs lie and remain in Denial that i was/am hurt, i am vulnerable and dejected. The16 Days of Activism this year have brought about a courage in me that i did not think was possible. Yes i am courageous, when i stand for women's rights, but for some absurd reason, i wasn't standing for Tendai's rights.

The right to be happy, the right to be free from anger, the right to love again, the right to feel good, the right to embrace my beauty, the right to freedom of speech and expression, the right to laugh, the right to live a life without regrets, the right of association and the right.........

I have been going through life with a weight on my back, literally, i do have serious back pain when i walk or stand for an extended time; which came about because i wanted to hide my beauty from men. I thought to my self, hey if i am big and full, no one will want me and i would be safe from the vultures. They would not hurt me again, use me and leave me  and beat me up or be seen sexy... a sex object. The men in my life had let me down to date and i was tired of dealing with this unusual and complicated species. So, i gained weight, my emotions were and still are entangled with food. When a angry i eat, happy-eat, sad- eat, stressed - eat. Unlike people who loose weight when stressed, i gain it. So musaone kufuta kudai muchiti i good living, pane zvinenge zvititondinetsa. For years i have had people say you need to loose weight, with holier than though tones. Because you cant tell everyone your story, i just say ok, i will.

I have even started weight loss programs myself and aborted them on the way, when i realized i was getting noticed by men, all the emotions flooded again and i felt abused and used again. Dealing with rape and violence is not an easy journey, and loosing weight meant each pound lost was a weight off my back and thus dealing with the issues that caused the weight gain again. Felt like knives through my heart...

So why am i sharing this? you might be saying so what?
Well, its for me mainly,  i think i am ready for self therapy and self healing that comes with embarking on the journey of weight loss. Facing the demons with not only The Word of God and prayer, but with practicality. I am not saying its going to be easy and drastic, but a painful journey with hills and valleys and all sorts of experiences, rivers to cross and oceans to swim. I know i will have all these emotions following in and out as i take this journey. i will blog when i can but i will try at least 3 times a week.

This weight loss is more a healing process for me;  i wasn't born skinny NO, nor was i born this way - lady gaga, but i know what i need to deal with so i can be a better person, first for self and then for all that surround me because they love me. Lol! of course there will be those with vile tongues that will crtitise and say all they want, but hey, its allowed, you are entitled to your opinions, but they are not facts, but shame, say all you want but its my journey and i am taking it because i want to.

One would ask have you not do this before, i have, but i couldn't deal with....

There is Jacky Nyabereka who has introduced me to skinny fibre, but more, she is willing to walk this journey with me to be my discipline barometer. Jacky, you are brave, because you know i have a strong mind of my own, and when the emotional pain attached to the weight is being shed off and its painful, i might be a bit difficult. When i wake up with Peace Mtize in the morning to walk and exercise, or when i don't feel like it, bare with me. when the tears and the hurt intensifies... all in the process of healing, pray for me.

Weight loss is a journey and not an event, do not be quick to shout your shallow opinions about who needs to loose weight to make yourself feel superior or secure, focus on healing self issues. You might have a perfect body great for you, but i have what i have let be heal and deal the best way i know how.

I know i know, you are rolling your eyes, its for you or about you, its my journey i am walking and courage am taking. I am scared, very afraid of the  can of worms this will open for me, am not even sure i am strong enough, or should i remain who i am because that's who you all know now, BUT you see, its not about making everyone happy but knowing who i am and whom am becoming and Mai Tawanda embracing life for her.

So here goes.............first step