Dealing With The Weight Loss Mindset With Bri
“My progress this and my progress that. After a while, I realized that it was okay. The most important part is you’ve got to learn to live, to eat things. I mean, I lost weight still eating pizza. ”
Weight loss, if you’re not trying to do it, have done it, or at the very least know someone who is dealing with it you’re a liar.
Whether it’s that last five or that first 100 pounds, it’s there, and you are very aware of it. Now don’t tell me that it doesn’t weigh on you, and it’s not your first thought when treating yourself to some not-so-healthy treats. The “Ugh, I really shouldn’t be eating this” thought pops into our heads, and then we think of all the ways we either suck, should do better, or how you’re going to work it off later.
Sound familiar? Yeah, I bet. Does this also sound a lot a bit UNHEALTHY? Yeah! There has to be a better, healthier way to go about this other than beating yourself up. This is precisely what Bri, founder of Bri Healthy, and I discussed during our interview. Her journey started at 19 when she stepped on the scale and saw that she was 306 pounds. With work and self-love, she lost 120 pounds in under two years.
We discuss how she did it and much more in our full interview, which you can find at the bottom of this article. Here are a few highlights to get you started.
What were some moments that were hard for you?
There were lots of moments when it was hard. When I was hard myself, really, hard on myself is when I would eat something that wasn't perfectly healthy in my eyes. I was very strict with myself back then on the discipline side, which is good to have discipline but also being able to say "it's okay" and nurture yourself was something that I had to learn. I've come a long way, but back then, I remember that there were times I would go out to eat, and I'd even eat a salad, and if it had dried cranberries or too much dressing on it afterward, I'd go home, and I feel crappy. I would just be like, "Why did I do this?" My progress this and my progress that. After a while, I realized that it was okay. The most important part is you've got to learn to live, to eat things. I mean, I lost weight still eating pizza. I would just plug it into my fitness pal. It's about being kind to yourself and loving, and that's what I learned from the journey.
How did self-love mitigate the punishment you would put on yourself?
That's the thing about eating; you got to do it. It's a choice that happens multiple times throughout the day. You have to be present with yourself or GET to be present with yourself. The perspective shift is everything. It's not easy to eat all the time ideally. First of all our society here in America, it is often very challenging to find something fully healthy in a takeout-style meal, even at a restaurant. So I mean, you're in LA; there's more out there than in New York. There are some, but I still find it challenging to find something that is super healthy. For me, it comes down to making those decisions. Now it's been more than 10 years since I started, and so there's been so much growth and learning about different ways of eating and fitness throughout the whole thing. I'm just very in flow with what's best for me, especially now. It's a mindful choice to want to feel good from the foods I eat, which has changed everything for me. However, during the pandemic, I gained some weight. I was getting taken out a lot and telling myself I was supporting local, small businesses. I also began to notice when I would stop ordering take out I wasn't enjoying that because I felt like I was depriving myself. It is all about balance.
What do you do now to help you find balance?
What I'm finding now is that eating as naturally as possible feels great for me. I eat as many raw fruits and veggies as possible because those give me energy, and I get so many nutrients, and I just feel alive from it. Whole grain bread, definitely still eat carbs, love carbs always. I'll still eat treats like there will be a day when I go and get some pizza, and maybe I'll eat three slices or more, but I make sure that it feels good in my body and I'm paying attention to how I feel, and if I'm feeling like I'm getting full I stop. This has taken me a long time to get to, but I just want to share this because anything is possible. Like yes, you can get here too; if I could do it, you can do it.
Talking about your weight loss journey can be a vulnerable thing. How did you deal with the judgment and stigma?
So this one is something very, you know, close to my heart. Very, very personal, but I'm open to sharing it with you. I started very Bri Healthy because I want, after I achieve my weight loss accomplishments, to help the world. I want to shine my light. I want to show people that if I could do it, you can do it too and give tips along the way. I love the body positivity movement because it has allowed so many bodies to be accepted. It has allowed me to wear clothing I feel comfortable in that I would not have worn before, and it just allows us to embrace ourselves. But there were some people I noticed that were anti-weight loss, so once that started happening, I began to receive comments from people saying, "Oh, you shouldn't have lost weight. You were good before and all this stuff." For me, my weight loss changed my entire life. It's not about my appearance. It was about my quality of life. I would not be able to live in New York City had I not lost the weight because even going up and down the subway stairs for me would not have been possible. Taking up a lot of space on the subway is something I would not have felt comfortable with. I believe we should be celebrating all bodies and accepting that everyone, no matter the decisions they want to make in their life.
Bri and I went on to talk about how she lost the weight, tips she learned along the way, and insights she learned about herself. Catch the full interview on the So She Slays Podcast and be sure to follow Bri for more.