Surviving vs Thriving

Today I went for a run and I realized how far I’ve come. The hard work I have been putting into myself, my career and my life is finally tangible.

In 2023 I was diagnosed with an eating disorder, completing a masters degree and working my butt off at a 9-5 that didn’t appreciate me. My mental health plummeted and my weight continued to increase. It was a time of survival and my body helped me do just that.

In 2024, I graduated my masters with an average in the 90’s, landed my dream job and started preparing for my wedding. But I didn’t feel like myself, and needed to start working on my mind, body and soul. I started training to run for a 5k so that I could exercise while still walking my two dogs. I ended up running a 5k in 35min by the end of the year (not too bad, but now we’re aiming for a new PB).

I also started learning about nutrition and aimed for a slight calorie deficit, eating lots of whole foods while prioritizing protein.

Now it’s 2025, i’m running because I enjoy it and i’ve lost 15 pounds too. I was able to pull my “skinny pants” out of storage and look forward to movement each day. Some days are still hard and calorie counting can be triggering but I focus on fuelling my body not depriving it. I’m now 75 days out from my wedding and feeling like myself again. I still feel like I have a far way to go, only now i’m thriving instead of just surviving.