Be Gentle With Yourself
Growing up, my dad would always say, “Patience, my darling.” This past week, that phrase has become my mantra.
I started seeing a nutritionist earlier this year.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had high cholesterol—very high, to be specific. It’s most likely genetic (my dad has it too), but here’s the frustrating part: I consider myself a very healthy person. I eat balanced, nutrient-rich meals, I prioritize my sleep, I manage stress, and I genuinely enjoy working out and lifting weights. Still, for some odd reason, my body insists on overproducing cholesterol.
Every time I see a new doctor and get bloodwork done, they look at my results with alarm and quickly rush to prescribe medication. But I’ve always believed in finding the cause of a problem rather than slapping on a Band-Aid. That’s why I chose to hold off on medication (don’t even get me started on the side effects and risks of statins) and see if changes in my habits and food choices could help instead.
Changes take time.
You can’t expect immediate results just because you’ve followed a diet or hit your protein goals for a few days. The key is patience—reminding yourself that this is a journey, and that the small changes do matter, even if they take time to show up.
Working with a nutritionist means tracking metrics: weighing yourself, measuring muscle mass, and checking your body fat percentage. I’ll admit, these numbers were never something I really paid attention to before. But I weighed myself earlier this week and felt disappointed—even ashamed—to see that my body fat percentage had crept up over time.
I want to be honest and vulnerable here: that moment hit me hard. But after sitting with it, I realized I shouldn’t feel ashamed. I hadn’t been sticking to my portions as closely as I needed to, and that was reflected in the numbers. On the flip side, I had gained muscle—something I’ve historically struggled with—and that’s thanks to challenging myself with heavier weights during my workouts. That’s progress worth celebrating.
So patience became my new mantra.
Patience, self-love, and honoring my body where it is (as my yoga teacher always reminds me). I can’t beat myself up over a number. A number is just that—a number. It doesn’t define my worth or my value.
If you’re on your own health journey, I want you to know: I see you. You’ve got this. Be patient with yourself, your body, and your mind.
With love,
Sylvi
