The Struggle and the Gradual Decline If you had asked me five, even ten years ago, if I thought I’d be here - writing about a battle against my own body - I would have brushed it off. I was never the person to obsess over weight. I was comfortable, confident, and loved life. But life has a way of slipping past me, one stress at a time, one compromise after another.
It started small. My days were long, my work demanding, and after a while, I noticed I was heavier than I remembered. The pounds didn’t pile on overnight; they crept up on me, one by one. It was so gradual that I felt like I was sleepwalking through it, ignoring the signs, telling myself it was just a stressful month or an off season. But the stress never stopped. I began to rely on food as my one constant, a comfort after tough days at work. But that comfort quickly turned into routine.
Looking in the mirror became painful. I’d see someone who didn’t look like me anymore. She looked tired, older than her years, like she was carrying something much heavier than her body. My vibrant self was buried beneath layers of stress, late-night snacks, and the heaviness of disappointment. I missed the person I used to be, and each attempt to reach her felt like another heartbreaking failure.
I began to pull away from friends and family, hiding the change. I didn’t want them to see me like this. Social gatherings became events to avoid; excuses replaced plans, and each failed attempt to lose weight only fueled the doubt that maybe this was it - maybe this was who I had become. And the heartbreaking truth? It wasn’t just the weight. It was the helplessness of feeling like I was losing myself piece by piece, and I couldn’t stop it.