Shedding 26 Kilos, Finding Myself: A Journey That's Only Half Done

For years, I carried more than just weight. I carried exhaustion, brain fog, and the quiet frustration of knowing I wasn't operating at my full potential. My body felt like excess baggage—slowing down my thoughts, limiting what I could accomplish in a day, and chipping away at my confidence one health scare at a time.

Last September, reality hit hard. A thyroid diagnosis. Fatty liver, grade 1. And lurking in the background, a family history of diabetes that I refuse—absolutely refuse—to let become my inheritance.

Things were getting worse. Something had to change.

The Eleven Reasons

1. My body was working against my brain.

I could feel it—the mental sluggishness, the afternoon crashes, the inability to sustain focus. I knew my mind was capable of more, but my body wasn't letting it happen.

2. Health problems kept knocking.

Thyroid. Fatty liver. Warning signs I couldn't ignore anymore. My body was sending me messages, and I was finally ready to listen.

3. I'm breaking a generational cycle.

Diabetes runs in my family. But genetics isn't destiny—not if I have anything to say about it. This ends with me.

4. Spiritual lightness requires physical lightness.

In Ashtanga yoga, there's a yama called Aparigraha—non-attachment, withdrawal from senses. For someone like me, who struggled with emotional eating and stress eating, this was more than philosophy. It was a personal battle. I could eat clean 99% of the time, but that 1%? Complete disaster. Conquering that 1% became part of the journey.

5. Adventure demands a capable body.

I love travel. I crave adventure. And I want a body that says yes to every trail, every summit, every spontaneous detour—not one that holds me back.

6. I have things to do in this world.

There's something deep inside me that knows I'm meant to contribute—to myself, to society, to something larger. Those ambitions require energy, stamina, and presence. A fit body isn't vanity; it's infrastructure.

7. I wanted to meet a version of myself I'd never seen.

What does she look like? How does she move through the world? What is she capable of? I'm still finding out. This is a work in progress, and I'm here for every step of it.

8. I'm rewriting a lifelong story.

I was the overweight kid. The obese teenager. At my present body weight today, I'm back to what I weighed thirteen years ago in 2012. But this time, I'm not just losing weight—I'm gaining something I never truly had: the feeling of being healthy from the inside out.

9. I needed to prove something to myself.

Not to anyone else. To me. That when I decide something, I follow through. That my word to myself means something.

10. I have physical goals that require a physical foundation.

Calisthenics. Hyrox. Movements that demand strength, control, and a body that cooperates. I'm building that body now.

11. I'm chasing the peak of human consciousness.

This might sound lofty, but I believe physical health is a gateway to mental clarity, and mental clarity is a gateway to something even higher. I want to experience what's possible when body, mind, and spirit are all aligned.

The Scoreboard

13 kilos lost. 13 more to go.

I'm exactly halfway there. And honestly? The person writing this today already feels like someone new.

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This isn't just about a number on a scale. It's about reclaiming my energy, my potential, and my future. One kilo at a time.