Learning the Hard Way. Sometimes that is the only way to get through to ourselves- by taking the harder path, the steeper mountain, the longest mile.
Day 17 of HAWMC is What is a lesson you learned the hard way?
I think I’ve learned many lessons the hard way, as it seems those are the only ways I actually get the new ideas into my pretty, yet thick, skull. Sometimes I crash and burn, only to get up wiser. Sometimes I stumble but regain my footing at the last second. Most of the time I come out ahead, as learning things the hard way makes me stronger.
A lesson learned the hard way was what actual health feels like. Being healthy isn’t just second nature for most people and it certainly wasn’t second nature for me. I have struggled with weight issues, an eating disorder, feelings of self-worthlessness, feelings of guilt, and just downright unhappiness. BUT(!) do you know where I’m at now? Pure love for myself and where I am in my life.
Without all those hard, unpaved roads and lessons I’ve learned while traveling down them, I certain I would not be in the place I am now.
The story of Lori…
You may have read my About Me tab or you might not have, either way, the short story is that I was overweight as a child from the time I hit 5 years old into high school. I was very overweight and I was made fun of. I didn’t like myself or the way I looked. And the summer between my freshmen year and sophomore year in high school I vowed to myself that I would no longer be that fat girl.
I started exercising more, eating less, then exercising even more, and eating even less. I lost 40 pounds during that summer and when I returned to school, people noticed. And this time they noticed me in a positive way. I got compliments and I felt good about myself. I was finally in control of my life. And wouldn’t you know, it only took starving myself, literally, to get there! Joy!
After losing another 15 pounds, quickly, I started to look… a bit too skinny. People still noticed me, but my friends noticed how I looked and commented in concern. They saw it. They saw how thin I was. How boney. Although for years I would look in the mirror and see that fat girl staring back… in disgust.
Paleo Waffles! See, I love food now. 
I’ve been at both extremes in my life and both times I walked some bumpy paths. After college I became obsessed with what true health was and learned that food was not the enemy- my thinking was. Although it was hard to change my thinking habits (especially when it came to how I felt about myself), I did it. What Runs Lori became my writing therapy- I cooked, I ate, I discovered that food was delicious and foods were healthy. Fat (from plants) are our friends . Slowly, I blogged my way to eating right.
Then came CrossFit and weight lifting.
I fell in love with how powerful (and in control) I felt when I lifted weights. I was strong, competent, powerful, beautiful. It was finally ok not to be the skinniest person in the room! And I’m not sure I can convey how wonderful that felt… feels. *Strong is the new skinny* and don’t you forget it!
Long story short- through the overweight hard lessons, the eating disordered hard lessons, and working on the confidence in myself, I learned self-approval and self love. Without any of those lessons, I wouldn’t appreciate my passions (health, nutrition, and exercise) quite as much, if at all.
I’m grateful for each hard-way learned lesson I’ve had. I enjoy food, I enjoy exercise, I enjoy feeling good and looking good. And yeah, I know I look good. 
Happiness is the only way to live, no matter which way you get there.
Wooooo hhhhhooooo, that was a little serious, wasn’t it?
What lessons have you learned the hard way?
Hi everyone, I'm Lori and this is my blog What Runs Lori.
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