Daily Ayurveda, the art of living.
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Kitchari
    • Spiced Milk
    • Spiced Granola
    • Coconut Dahl
    • Green Mung Bean Soup
    • Opo Squash
    • Ginger Lemon Turmeric Tonic
    • Homemade Almond Milk
    • Cardamom Basmati Rice
    • Red Lentil Dahl
    • Taakra- A Digestive Tonic
    • Coconut Cardamom Stuffed Dates
    • Coconut Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
    • Sweet and Spicy Rice Porridge
    • Roasted Fennel
    • Stuffed Delicata Squash
    • Coconut Spiced Sweet Potato Fries
    • Cilantro Garlic Chutney
    • Avocado Mint Cucumber Salad
  • Book Appointment
    • Meet Britt
  • Ayurveda Basics
    • Agni- Digestive Fire
    • Vata- Air and Space
    • Pitta- Fire and Water
    • Kapha- Earth and Water
  • Blog
  • Follow
  • Client Testimonials
  • Media Kit

The Before. The After. The Whole Truth.

3/28/2014

12 Comments

 
Picture
What started out as a short term fitness experiment turned into a deeply transformative experience that has reshaped my relationship to inhabiting a body. 

Before I begin, I need to come clean about something. In my first post on this topic, The Before,  I didn't tell the whole truth. I said, "Let me be very clear about one thing. I am not dissatisfied with my body the way it looks now."  That's not true. I still have mornings when look in the mirror and wish that things looked different. It would have been more accurate for me to have said, "I have done a lot of work around accepting and appreciating my body as it is and have come a long way in that process. However, my conditioning around wanting my body to look a certain way runs very deep, and although I am much closer than ever before, I have not gotten to the place where I have full acceptance of my body yet."  This process of publicly posting pictures of myself in my underwear to show my results really illuminated how deep those insecurities run. 

On Monday, I went in for my final assessment appointment at Relic Tree fitness center to get my photos taken and to be weighed and measured in order to track the changes in my fat and muscle percentages from when I started on this journey five months ago. I was confident that there was going to be a massive shift in numbers and that my after photo would look drastically different than the before shot. When I received an email with the results, my jaw dropped. Almost everything was the same. The only difference was that I gained 2 lbs of muscle and lost 1 lb of fat. When I received this email and looked at the pictures I was flooded with emotion. Anger, sadness, frustration, disbelief. I had been working my ass for the past 5 months. Did I not try hard enough in class? Did they mess up on the measurements? How could this have happened? How disempowering to post a before and after picture that look almost exactly the same. 

Then another voice fought back. The voice was loud and strong and it came from the center of my being. It reminded me of all the times I didn't want to get out of bed in the morning for my 6:30 class, but I did it anyways. It reminded me of the day I did my first push up without assistance (I can now do 10). It reminded me to really check in with my body and pay attention to how different it feels now instead of being consumed with the way it looks.

The truth is, I inhabit my body differently now. I hold my head up higher. I feel more agile, more capable, more free to move with a new sense of strength and deep seeded power. My digestion is stronger now than it has ever been, I have way more energy throughout the day. My back pain has dissipated tremendously.  This is not the end of my fitness experiment. In fact, I see it as a more solid starting point. Rooted deeper into the way my body feels as opposed to the way it looks. I am ready to begin again.

12 Comments
Brandee
3/28/2014 04:11:19 am

I see a huge difference. You stand taller. You smile more. You train harder. You have a look about you that suggests strength.

A picture does not capture you in motion, which is how people get to see you in person.

Reply
Danielle
3/28/2014 06:38:17 am

In college I worked at a fitness center as a receptionist. My work friends were personal trainers. When I asked one of them about her biggest success story or about how much weight someone lost working with her, the answer was surprising to me, probably because ours is a culture that loves a good before/after story, even if it is fake. The answer was, "For the most part people don't lose that much weight and their bodies don't change all that much. But they feel better and have more confidence and that makes them look great."

Reply
rupert
3/28/2014 08:34:48 am

you look quite different actually, and you look great

Reply
Liam
3/30/2014 03:55:34 am

Awesome, Britt! Yes, numbers only tell us do much, way to cue into the whole picture.

Reply
Shankari link
4/8/2014 05:36:38 am

Thank you for posting this, Britt. And one thing this shows is that maybe, just maybe, your body was absolutely, unchangeably, PERFECT to start with.

Reply
Jess link
4/23/2014 12:09:17 pm

Wow nice to read that I am not alone. I have been kicking butt in the gym working out 6-7 days a week for 5 months now and still not happy with my body-- but I too try to appreciate that I can now do numerous pushups, am gaining flexibility and strength all over. It's so frustrating though!

Reply
Ayurvedic Treatments link
6/22/2014 02:23:07 am

wow, that is huge difference. wonder full. thank you for sharing this.

Reply
shashank link
8/9/2014 03:09:57 am

http://pranacharya.com/ayurveda/magazine.aspx

Reply
Chelsey
2/7/2016 05:17:16 pm

I see a leaner belly and back. I see more muscles up top and a stronger posture. I see a smile.

Reply
Archana link
7/22/2016 04:18:27 am

You look great. A huge difference indeed

Reply
digitalavn link
10/26/2016 01:16:31 am

Thank you for sharing this info. Today, almost everyone is obsessed with losing weight. Obesity is defined as a condition where one is at least 20% more than the ideal body weight. Obesity is normally caused by a sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, an irregular diet & sleep pattern and stress.

AVN Arogya Ayurvedic Wellness Retreat's Medohara, involves a planned, methodical Lifestyle intervension process with the ideal diet & exercise regime along with Yoga sessions and the right ambience to make the weight management program a thoroughly enjoyable one.

Duration:
AVN Arogya’s Medohara can be undertaken as a 21-day or a 14-day program.
For any info visit our page www.avnarogyawellness.com

Reply
luke link
6/30/2017 01:47:35 am

you look changed and thank you for the article.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Written by:
    Britt Barrett
    & Guests.

    Chronicles of self proclaimed Ayurvedic Nerds.

    Archives

    August 2017
    June 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Ayurveda
    Breema
    Diet And Lifestlye
    Discipline
    Exercise
    Fall
    Fitness
    Mind
    Sex
    Skin Care
    Summer
    Winter

    RSS Feed

"There are so many gifts that I received from working with Brittany as my Ayurvedic Counselor. She has an amazing ability to see people and was able to help me express exactly what I was feeling but had no idea how to articulate. From the big life themes to the slight yet profound adjustments to the way I live my life, I am feeling more vibrant and healthy than ever! I feel blessed to have worked with Brittany and strongly recommend her."
- Audrey J. San Francisco Ca.


"In just a few sessions, Brittany helped me feel healthier, calmer, and more alive. She has the warmest heart and spirit of anyone you'll ever meet plus she gives you helpful information so you get the results that you want. She really listened to my needs and helped me create changes that worked for me and continue to work for me to this day. Throughout all of our sessions, I felt very taken care of and listened to!"
- Lindsay C. Berkeley Ca.
Photos used under Creative Commons from A. Strakey, Care_SMC
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Kitchari
    • Spiced Milk
    • Spiced Granola
    • Coconut Dahl
    • Green Mung Bean Soup
    • Opo Squash
    • Ginger Lemon Turmeric Tonic
    • Homemade Almond Milk
    • Cardamom Basmati Rice
    • Red Lentil Dahl
    • Taakra- A Digestive Tonic
    • Coconut Cardamom Stuffed Dates
    • Coconut Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
    • Sweet and Spicy Rice Porridge
    • Roasted Fennel
    • Stuffed Delicata Squash
    • Coconut Spiced Sweet Potato Fries
    • Cilantro Garlic Chutney
    • Avocado Mint Cucumber Salad
  • Book Appointment
    • Meet Britt
  • Ayurveda Basics
    • Agni- Digestive Fire
    • Vata- Air and Space
    • Pitta- Fire and Water
    • Kapha- Earth and Water
  • Blog
  • Follow
  • Client Testimonials
  • Media Kit