"I can't remember a time when I didn't battle my weight. Over the years, I tried low-carb dieting, intermittent fasting, and more to keep the weight I so desperately was worried about at bay. Then I hit 50 - hello perimenopause! -and any weight that came off over the years quickly came flooding back on. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to lose all my new-found padding."
"Then I went to Japan. The country had been a life-long dream of mine because it seemed so very different from anything else I've experienced. I love hiking and wanted to do a trip with lots of active adventure - I had done a so-called pilgrimage walk, which are meant for those seeking to reflect, in Norway years ago and loved how it forced me to be present."
"At the same time I was dealing with my weight, I continued my love of travel, but I stuck to destinations that didn't require bearing it all. No bikini for me, thank you very much. I did take up scuba diving (as a present to myself on my 50th birthday), but I only went diving when I was completely covered in a neoprene scuba suit. Nobody needed to see my flesh."
She battled weight for most of her life and tried diets like low-carb and intermittent fasting. Perimenopause at age 50 triggered rapid weight regain that resisted previous efforts. She maintained a love of travel but chose destinations that concealed her body, avoided bikinis, and scuba dived only in full neoprene suits. She sought an active, reflective experience and joined a group for the Shikoku Temple Pilgrimage in Japan, enjoying hiking, forest bathing, and temple mindfulness. The prospect of onsen bathing, which is done nude, provoked anxiety despite growing comfort in nature and the group.
Read at Scary Mommy
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