Fitness has many aspects other than physical. Fitness Saved Me.
- Tamera Pinkney
- Mar 26
- 4 min read
“My journey began late 2019. I was battling depression and dealing with an unfaithful husband, and then one day I decided to leave …”
No, I'm not gonna start this as some sob story:
While this is true, it's not actually sad, at least not anymore. At the time, I was genuinely terrified and heartbroken. However, leaving my ex-husband was truly the best decision for me. Although I was still struggling with my already depressed mind, had to move back in with my family, and would soon be a 24-year-old divorcée, you could probably tell that the emotional rollercoaster was reaching its peak. Additionally, before I could divorce him, we had to be separated for a year first.
Yet, who could have predicted that year would transform my life.
How does this relate to my fitness journey? I wanted to provide some slight insight into my mental state because, believe it or not, your mindset significantly impacts your overall health, which can, in turn, influence your journey. Fitness has other aspects other than physical. Fitness saved me. I didn't know myself without him, and I completely lost myself with him. I gauged my life's success by being a "good wife" and having a husband. When that was gone, I felt like I had nothing to measure my life by and felt like a failure inside. Beginning my fitness journey reminded me that I matter too, and it influenced every part of my life. Now, back to the story.
Before I initially started my journey, I wasn't overly insecure about my weight, but there were some concerns. I was aware that I had put on a considerable amount of weight, reaching my heaviest ever, yet I still felt quite attractive and had no trouble finding a partner if I wanted. (250 lbs of lusciousness, TMI?)
Nonetheless, that was never enough. I still initially aimed to enhance my appearance. Looking at old photos, not fitting into my favorite dress, and quickly outgrowing my clothes revealed everything I needed to know. I needed a change, and with numerous challenges in my life at that moment, I had to find something to uplift my spirits and restore some control over my life.
Around late August 2019, I started exploring weight loss methods and came across intermittent fasting, which I decided to give a shot. It was the sole diet that didn't demand me to monitor or calculate my food intake, concentrating more on the timing and, to a certain degree, the amount. After practicing it for some time, I began to comprehend my connection with food. I realized I wasn't as hungry during eating windows and even lost some weight. Nevertheless, when old habits returned and cravings dominated, I quickly stopped and regained the weight.
After a while, when I was prepared to resume my efforts, I conducted additional research and discovered information about body types. I learned that my body type required more cardio and a balanced diet. I returned to intermittent fasting to maintain a caloric deficit and started running. I honestly can't remember what specifically prompted me to choose running, but one day I decided to get up the next day and go for a run. So I did. And I kept going. I decided to adopt a pescatarian diet and started running five times a week! Yet, there was something missing...
In my view, the initial months were the simplest yet physically demanding. I discovered a route outside my neighborhood for my runs. Each week, I ran a mile five times a week while continuing my intermittent fasting. My meals typically consisted of some type of fish and vegetables, accompanied by a basic starch like potatoes or rice.
When I began running, I surprisingly found it quite enjoyable, even though my initial sessions mostly involved walking with a bit of light jogging. It was fulfilling to zone out, listen to music, and do something beneficial for myself. Over time, I improved my breathing, which was my biggest challenge initially and gradually, I started running more than walking.
Over time, the weight began to shed, and I grew more committed to my journey than ever. I dug further into researching proper nutrition, exercises, and understanding my body type, implementing these insights into my life.
By May I would have lost over 90lbs in nine months. I've shed both stubborn body fat and a significant amount of muscle mass. Ouch! Now, I’m so skinny that everyone wants to feed me because I look like skin and bones.
Here come those insecurities again. Wanting to enhance my physique, I pursued a personal training certification, and let me tell you, what I learned completely changed the direction of my fitness journey. I was then able to pinpoint mistakes like how I really over prioritized cardio and other mistakes I had been making and discovered ways to improve. After finishing my certification, I began creating programs for myself and applying what I'd learned, and the results were fantastic. I felt great. But something was still missing…
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