I was 47 when it really hit me.
The weight I had slowly gained through menopause wasn’t just physical.
It was emotional.
It was the weight of missed moments — skipping beach trips, hiding behind others in photos, saying "no" to opportunities because I felt uncomfortable in my own skin.
I smiled on the outside.
But inside, I was exhausted. Disconnected. Fading.
I told myself I was too busy, too old, too far gone.
That taking care of everyone else was taking care of myself.
(But deep down, I knew I wasn’t fooling anyone — especially not myself.)
The Turning Point...
It wasn’t a number on the scale that woke me up.
It wasn’t a diet commercial or a New Year's resolution.
It was one quiet Sunday afternoon — sitting on the floor, playing blocks with my grandkids — when I realized how short my fuse was.
How tired I felt. How I couldn't even kneel comfortably without back pain.
I looked at their bright little faces, and the thought hit me like a wave:
"They deserve a Nana who can keep up. Who is alive. Who shines."
And maybe... just maybe... I deserved that too.
The Journey Back to Myself...
I didn’t overhaul my life overnight.
I didn’t join a bootcamp or starve myself into submission.
I started small.
A walk around the block.
A glass of water before my coffee PLUS a little bit of that thing that I call my bizarre "purple peel" ritual
Swapping self-criticism for self-compassion.
And little by little, those small promises I kept to myself started stacking up.
I lost 10 pounds. Then 20. Then 30.
Not because I hated my body — but because I finally decided to love it enough to take care of it.
I didn’t do it perfectly.
I didn’t do it quickly.
But I did it with heart.
And today, at 153 pounds, I don’t just look different — I live differently.
I laugh louder
I play harder
I love deeper
I’m not hiding anymore.
I’m thriving.
If You’re Where I Was…
If you’re reading this and feeling that same exhaustion, that same disconnection — please hear me:
✨ You are not too old.
✨ You are not too broken.
✨ You are not too far gone.
It’s not about perfection.
It’s not about chasing a smaller number.
It’s about choosing to show up for yourself — messy, imperfect, worthy.
The hardest part is starting.
But once you do?
You’ll be amazed at the woman waiting on the other side.
I promise she’s worth it.
And so are you.
— Heather 💚
