Self-transformation

Self-transformation, what does this mean to you? To be literal in the knowledge it means, “the act or process of changing completely: a complete change”. This can mean many things to many people.

When thinking about self-transformation we can break down the word into two parts: “self” and “transformation”. Looking at the first part, well that is simple. Self simply means you are pertaining to yourself. The word “transformation” means to thoroughly change, to be completely different.

Not to get too philosophical into the meaning but combining the two words into a compound word creates a more specific meaning. You are speaking of transforming yourself, changing something whether one part or your whole being.

Jaggi Vasudev (a visionary, humanitarian, and Yogi) once said, “Self-transformation is not just about changing yourself. It means shifting yourself to a completely new dimension of experience and perception”. Shifting yourself. That made me think of the journey I have been on this year. In January of this year, I promised myself I would become a healthier version of myself.

I did not know at the time where this desire to become a healthier person would bring me. That is until recently. I have been actively speaking about how changing my nutrition plan, along with finding an active lifestyle that fit me, changed my entire mindset. I shifted myself to a new dimension of how I think and have experienced a brand-new way of living.

Gone are the days where I would look at my body and see something that made me feel ashamed. I have always tried to be a body positive person, but what does “being body positive” mean exactly? Well, for starters it means to accept and love the body your in. To love the flaws and imperfect characteristics. I can be 100% candid and say I was not at all body positive when I was 80 pounds heavier. I was moody, miserable, depressed, stress eating took on a life of its own in my life, and I missed how I felt prior to the weight gain. There is nothing wrong with that.

In fact, wanting to better yourself physically IS being body positive. That inner desire to find a healthy way of living, feeding your body foods that help you feel better versus awful is always a positive change!

My mind shifted from eating my feelings and laying around to finding what nutritious foods worked best for my body and becoming a daily runner and yogi. Some may not approve or believe in the nutrition journey I chose, but that is completely okay! I will never judge them for their choices, I do what works for my body and my life.

Ketogenics is not just a “diet” that worked for me in losing 80 pounds, it is my way of life! I found that cutting out sugar, grains, gluten, wheat, dairy, and red meat, benefit me physically and mentally. I have suffered from Depression, Anxiety, OCD and PTSD for over half of my life.

Within changing my nutrition and becoming consistently active, I have found my dark depression days aren’t as often, my anxiety attacks are far and few between, my OCD and PTSD are still an ongoing issue, but by feeling better overall the moments when those two rev up the most are not as bad.

Speaking as a woman, I have seen significant change in my menstrual cycles and they are now like clockwork. Among more details that I will leave out, changing to Ketogenics has helped me so much in this area as well. I have also seen such a dramatic change in my heart health.

Before Ketogenics I had High blood pressure issues to the point that the doctors had a difficult time getting readings. My chest would have pain if I walked to much or had an incredibly stressful day. Today my blood pressure is normal, and I no longer have chest pains.

But what I chose does not mean I would ever push it on another person. I believe that everyone has the right to choose in how to live their lives and that goes for nutrition as well. Some may see this as say something to the fact of “it’s a fad diet”, “there is not enough research yet”, “your depriving yourself, go eat a donut!”, but all I can say is if you could only understand how truly amazing I feel every day you wouldn’t be judging my choices.

So, I will say this, self-transformation comes in all forms. You decide what that means. Do not ever let one-persons (or many) opinions stop you from what works for your body, your life, or your new state of mind.

Be bold and choose a way of finding your self-transformation journey that will make peoples heads turn and ask how you did it! Do not let anyone hold you back from your goals! One step forward is all you need to start your transformation.

One step forward.