Ladies and Gentlemen - let me introduce....'ME'

Hello, my name is Vidya. Mum to five pets, three small humans, two small reptiles, and wife to my best friend, from as far back as I can remember. I'm new to all this blogging malarky, but for the sheer love of the written/spoken word and what makes us tick in that mind emotionally, psychologically and beyond, I have decided that I would dip my toe in the water and see what it feels like to have my own blog. 

I guess here is the point that I introduce a bit of my story and what has brought me to this point. Well, you see I used to be this 'larger than life' character. I medicated myself through the good times and the bad with food. It was my crutch. In November 2016 I had had enough of getting by and tripping from one food/drink fix to the next just to exist. I don't know what snapped within me, but something did snap. I was probably at one of my all time lowest in life, the outside world would never have guessed it. I laughed my way through life loudly, to mask the torment going on inside. I was sick of life. Sick of living perpetually with anxiety which held me back in so many ways, I just wanted to get on with life, but was paralysed in a way which meant I couldn't do the things I really wanted to do. I just wanted to enjoy my life, enjoy it with my children, be the best mum I could be, be a 'decent' wife and be strong and self reliant. I wanted to be that someone that I could look back on and be proud of  - I wanted to be 'me', the REAL me, not the functioning, 'morbidly obese', funny mum, wife and friend.  And so I begun my quest, to uncover 'me'.

The layers on me were my 'physical' blanket to shroud me. I didn't want to be shrouded anymore, I didn't want to hide. The blanket was actually my burden of pretence. The irony is I just wanted to hide, but I was very aware the bigger I became the more obvious I was becoming. 

It's important to say right here that nobody ever said anything hurtful, upsetting or size-ist in any way leading up to  my 'crunch' time. The decision to take the blanket off, was mine and all mine and self driven out of my sheer tiredness with life as it was.  I needed to take it off and be accepting of being vulnerable, emotional, full of feeling, and all the complexities that come with that.

Fast forward, after a strict diet/regime and complete lifestyle change, most importantly a dramatic mindset shift and I am 5.5 stone lighter, living life to my fullest, as best that I can. It's not a bed of roses and it has not been an easy ride to say the least, but it's the best it can be today, and I embrace the rough with the smooth, because it teaches me many things, about myself, others and about life itself. I have the utmost love, respect and special warmth for the heavier version of me. Despite all that held that 'her' back, 'she' found some strength to wake up to find a better reality for her future, for 'me'. For that I am blessed - I needed her in order to find me.

I guess the aim of blogging, is to share with you my life experiences in my 'real' shoes, doing the things I never thought I would do, embark on or enjoy. I want to share my thoughts as raw as they sometimes feel, I want to share with you the random bits of poetry that I blurt now and again, I want to share with you my insights, and bits and pieces that I pen to my 'clients'. Being an NLP Practitioner, and a Cambridge Weight Plan Consultant I write bits and pieces, send out motivational chit chats to keep my clients motivated and focused- I aim to share that with all of you, because they can apply to any aspect of one's life.

Take the bits you want, leave the bits you don't - the very reason the blog is called 'Mind Snacks and Nibbles'! :)

Hopefully, there are days when reading my blog can help throw some other perspective on things going on in your own life. If I can help, I will. My biggest aim now in life is to contribute to help others, so if I can do that, then it's all good. The very fact I am writing this is testament to change. I would never have dreamt of putting myself out there like this, but like I said I am pushing beyond 'comfort' on so many fronts, I want everyone to know that if I can do this, the possibility to do the same, and push yourself to develop, lies within you, it really does- just start believing in yourself.

Hop on board and enjoy the journey, 

The Mind Traveller x