my heaviest weight dragged me down
two hundred sixty pounds of obese mounds
when three flights of steps got me more out of breath
than right now, after running a seven mile stretch
a new personal best as my body adapts
to healthy decisions, these carefully placed bets
choosing to live with a dash of common sense
that food could never prevent anxiety
escape in consumption could never fix a mental mess
it was all just temporary relief
until putting this fight to rest
and instead of self shame and self hate
I turned to love and physical activity
mindfulness, meditation, and resistance to the apathy
when realizing all the change I needed
so I started singing along, moving my body to song after song
letting music guide me forward, letting melody make me strong
as I transform fat-borne stretch marks into tiger stripes
this fleshy reminder of all the times I lived wrong
weightloss
Next Steps
Listen up as this is what’s happening now
You’re gonna take a seat and then write it out
All about the feels when you’re drowning out the shouting doubts
With the flip side, light tide, Sun-drum beat to fight away
Mentalities that choose to run and hide away
Instead you’ll choose to face how you feel today
No more anxiety idly churned to disarray
I know you’re scared enough to feel afraid to act
But you need to turn back
Don’t be long, just make it fast
To make it back on track towards recovery road’s path,
And pass by old perspectives only ever stuck in the past
Of yesterday, the love that grows and fades
Against the rising hate of fate to make or break
Procrastinated dreams of late
’n dissipate the tension against falling into flow
Taking deep breaths in, calm and slow
Remember, remember, how you’re not alone
Time and again, look how you’ve flown
Only soared past a thrown stone ‘cause of help from an other
Now rediscover love, like lightning and thunder
Motion picture wonder
Where the energy is found in next steps
No longer complicity aiding the morbidity statistics of chosen obesity
Heartbreaking tendencies
No, fuck that
You’ll welcome back the healthy math
Where emotional coping no longer equates to getting fat
—
Photographer: Mantas Hesthaven