If you haven’t already heard about the Fantrax BallBlast Sweaty Selfie Contest… it’s not too late. We still have plenty of time! I’m here to tell you a little bit about that contest, and a lot about me: the who, the what, and the why. And no, I’m not going to be discussing much fantasy football here. For that, you can check out my latest article. I want to talk about health and fitness and what motivated me to share this story and a contest to help you meet your goals, too.
Several months ago, I was combing through Twitter when I stumbled across an article pinned to the top of Matt Harmon’s (@MattHarmon_BYB) profile. I’ll be honest – the content wasn’t what I expected. It was personal. It was real. It was about his journey to physical and mental health – a journey that I’m still on and that I struggle with from time to time. To say it struck a cord is an understatement.
I’ve had issues with my weight most of my childhood and into my adult life. My mom was the best cook in the world, and my grandfather, the non-compliant diabetic, loved ice cream and soda. There was no shortage of delicious food around, and I often looked to food as a source of comfort in times of stress or anxiety.
The Climb
As my weight continued to climb (and my height stopped), I grew increasingly restless with the person I saw in the mirror. My grandfather, Mr. Ice Cream, passed in high school, and it only worsened my emotional dependence on food. My favorite guy in the world was gone, and what I had left was my mother’s cooking to get me through it. I battled with depression for several years thereafter. I saw various counselors through high school and trying everything from Wellbutrin to Lexapro to Zoloft. Nothing helped, so I continued to eat. Unfortunately, I have battled severe asthma most of my life, and cardio was no easy feat for me to conquer without overusing my little blue inhaler. To say I was taking in more than I was putting out is an understatement.
Nonetheless, I survived high school and went on to better things. I took control of my home life. I moved out on my own after turning 18 and applied to nursing school. I made progress in many areas of my life, but I continued to struggle with stress management and activity. Semester by semester, I continued looking in the mirror, and I liked what I saw less and less. I moved through my nursing clinicals and I was exposed to many of the long-term effects of obesity in adults, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and joint problems. My weight eventually peaked at 230 lbs, I looked in the mirror, and decided enough was enough.
Before
And after
The Turnaround
At that point, I found Weight Watchers. No, this is not a paid advertisement. I went to weekly meetings, faced the scale, and talked with others in the group about my struggles. These ladies in their 50’s (and yes, they were all in their 50’s) became some of my closest confidants. They supported me when I needed something else to lean on besides food. They encouraged me to be active and start small – daily walks were a must! They encouraged me to hold myself accountable and remember that this is not just about how I look in the mirror – it’s about how I feel and how I think about myself. The weight melted off, my breathing improved, and I started to feel… better.
It’s been years now since I took off that weight, and every now and then, I need a reminder of the importance of my health and mental health self-care. My mom, unfortunately, passed away just a few weeks ago at the young age of 53. It was a shock and surprise for all of my family, and seeing her suffer through her illnesses in the last several months has reignited my motivation to care for myself. I haven’t focused on my health or weight management with the flurry of stressful events, and I want to get back to it.
I hope that this will help to motivate you too. We are all on a continuous journey through life, and it will be filled with ups and downs. I’ve got a lot of ups right now: an incredible job, a supportive family and spouse, my fur-children, and my home. I’ve got fantasy football to lean on as I work my way through the grief of losing my mom, and the support of an incredible team here at Fantrax. I want to make my health and mental health an up again too.
The Contest
I hope you’ll join me in sharing your #sweatyselfies through the month of June, so we can all continue to work towards our best selves.
Every time you’re active in the month of June, post a selfie using the #SweatySelfie and don’t forget to tag and follow @FFBallBlast and @BallBlastEm. Every time you do so counts as one entry for a Fitbit to help you continue to stay active and continue on your journey of health.
Fantrax was one of the fastest growing fantasy sites of 2018 and we’re not slowing down in 2019. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.