• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About/Hire Me
    • About Me
    • Hire Me
    • Contact
    • Family
    • Faith
    • FAQ
    • My Running Story
    • Recipes
  • Disney
  • Fitness
    • runDisney Information Page
    • Fitness
    • Races
  • Parenting
  • Travel

Through Heather's Looking Glass

  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • family
  • About Me

You ARE Enough

October 26, 2015 | blogging, fitness, Guest Post

I first met Tasha when I visited Under Armour headquarters a couple of years ago, and we were ambassadors together and roommates. She has become a wonderful and inspirational friend who is very dear to me, and I am honored to have her guest post today. She has an amazing story of overcoming shame, guilt, and anorexia that she is sharing here today. I hope you will read it, it’s worth it!

Shame, as defined by vocabulary.com, is “a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt.” In my life, it defined an entire period of my life, a darkness, a private hell that I lived in and out of for far too long. With my daughter just turning twelve last week, memories of how my life came crashing idem, all over my weight, shortly after her birth came flooding back. I decided, now, more than ever as she enters a very delicate period in her own development, to really acknowledge how I got there, how I can deal with any remnants of what was and make to decision about walking in freedom about my body and my weight and being a worthy example for her to follow.

12182211_10153009837461853_755374974_n

Six months before I became pregnant with my daughter, I had just successfully lost a little over forty pounds. I had been dating a man for a little over a year and had gotten “comfortable” and had ended up getting very close to two hundred pounds again, something I promised myself I would not do. I had gotten a membership at the local YMCA, cleaned up my diet and was really really proud about being under 160 pounds, a weight I had not seen since my first year of college. Within a month of reaching a healthy weight, my boyfriend proposed and we were married three months later. I became pregnant three months after that. All of the quick changes (not just getting married but losing my job, going through a custody battle over my oldest child and moving to a different city) made gaining fifteen pounds SUPER easy. I felt “happy” but out of control. So many people were inspired by the changes I had made and I was now feeling as if I was letting them down. That guilt on top of the guilt of being put on a diet by my doctor for gaining too much weight (as a pregnant woman) on top of no longer having a job on top of feeling bad for being “vain” about my body when I was supposed to be taking care of myself to bring another life into the world. The weight of it all was super heavy on my shoulders.

12179571_10153009840966853_1896917521_n

When I gave birth, I became obsessed with losing the weight. I wouldn’t go visit family and friends because I was ashamed of what I had become, or in my mind, become “again.” On top of severe post partum depression (which I’m sure was affected by the way I felt about myself), I exercised excessively. I battled my second round of anorexia. I rarely slept. I almost killed myself. I felt trapped, again, all because of a number on a scale. It’s amazing how trying to be what we think is acceptable to others will destroy us.

12182338_10153009842146853_444707420_n

I have battled the same thing since entering the fitness profession some eleven years ago. Shame is what led me to a binge eating disorder. I was a yoga teacher. How does a yoga teacher explain to her students that her emotions are our of control and she is ashamed of her body when she is telling them to breathe and love themselves? I shoved brownies down my throat before class in the corner of the parking lot where no one could see, cried for ten minutes and then went to play the role. That’s what shame does to us. We play roles to feel “accepted” and hide from who we really are. When I came to terms with who I really was and that it was o.k. that I was super small or that I didn’t dress a certain way or that I wasn’t a runner and that who I was indeed was ENOUGH, my battle with shame became less and less and less and while I still struggled (honestly, struggle) with body image from time to time, I no longer hide from people or the issue. When I feel that way, I get to the root of the issue and not just accept it as before. I have not only had to change my thinking but there are times I had to change environments, friends, who I was following on social media, where I was shopping and what I watching on television. If it made me second guess myself, it had to go.

12188836_10153009836916853_225677576_n

Shame is hard. Suffering is hard. Silence is hard. It secretly kills. If you are in a shame cycle,may I encourage you with these words: you ARE enough. Shame attacks us when we feel inadequate. You are more than capable and more than worthy. When we believe in our own worth and power, shame dissolves. When shame dissolves, we can see who we really are and go from there. There is nothing wrong with self improvement. We just can’t become undone trying to undo who we truly are. Be encouraged. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you Tasha for sharing such a personal story! If you are not already, please be sure to follow this amazing lady on her social channels, here are a few: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

QOTD: Can you relate to Tasha at a time in your life? How did you overcome these feelings?

Like this:

Like Loading...

Sign up for my newsletter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Matthew James Foster says

    October 26, 2015 at 7:15 am

    im overweight, i lack motivation to exercise, i was born with spina bifida, even just walking around the shop’s is a struggle for me, i feel about 10 years older than i am, i have no energy and no job prospects and im just feeling depressed and fed up with alot right now.

    • Tasha says

      October 26, 2015 at 7:32 pm

      I’m sorry you feel such frustration. I cannot say I know how you feel. I do know what’s it’s like to be frustrated. Find the good (there is always SOME good) and get your energy from that to face the not so good. We have to face it to get past it. And we CAN get past it. Be well and take care.

  2. Mindy @ Road Runner Girl says

    October 26, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    What an inspiration you are Tasha! Thanks for sharing your story!

    • Tasha says

      October 26, 2015 at 7:30 pm

      Thank YOU, Mindy, for reading!

Trackbacks

  1. runningwithsass says:
    October 26, 2015 at 2:24 am

    You ARE Enough

    I first met Tasha when I visited Under Armour headquarters a couple of years ago, and we were ambassadors

Primary Sidebar

I am Heather Montgomery, a 30 something southern girl living in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband Bobby, 10-year-old daughter Emma Kate, and our goldendoodles Dolly and Luna. I’m just a regular girl who likes to workout, travel, hang with my family, text, and eat chips and queso. Be sure to check out my “about me” page for more info!
Thank you for visiting, and feel free to contact me with questions, (or for PR inquiries or press trip invites) at Support@HeathersLookingGlass.com.

Please, no guest post requests. 🙂

More about me

Privacy Policy

You can also find me here:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Protecting Your Kids’ Eyes In the Digital Age
  • Late Spring Events Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
  • 6 Ways to Make Mother’s Day Special This Year
  • Exciting News: Allegiant Air Launches New Knoxville to Gulf Shores Nonstop Flight
  • 8 Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Activities that are Perfect for a Family Spring Break

 

Search

How to Start a Blog

How to start a blog
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • Family
🏰 We have been planning this for months. I th 🏰 We have been planning this for months. 

I thought about the right time to surprise her, and after then lost the state AAU tournament in the championship game, AND she was sick (crazy cough at the end of the video haha!) 

I knew this would be the perfect time to cheer her up. I think it worked. 😜

Check out my story highlight on my profile called “Disneyland70” if you missed all the fun! 

#disneyland70 #disneyland70th #surprisedisneytrip #disneycreators #disneylandpark #disneylandsurprise #disneyland70thanniversary
GIFT-AWAY! 🎉 I feel so blessed to be at openi GIFT-AWAY! 🎉 

I feel so blessed to be at opening weekend of @disneyland’s 70th celebration, that I wanted to give something back to one of YOU! 

I picked up the light up balloon 70th popcorn bucket AND a travel wine tumbler that I am gifting to one of my followers just for following along and being here. 💙 (I really want to keep them both but I’d rather spoil one of yall!) 

See below for entry!

1.) Follow @heatherslg 
2.) ❤️ this post 
3.) tag at least 2 friends in separate comments (can tag more, each tag is one entry!)
4.) Tell me your favorite Disney movie 

BONUS!
Share this post to your stories and TAG ME! Counts for 5 entries ONLY from this account! 

BONUS 2: F0llow @bobbymontg  for 3 extra entries! 

Not associated with IG. Must be 18 to enter. US only (sorry to my international friends!) ends May 25th, I will announce in stories! 

#disneyland70th #disneyland70 #popcornbucket #disneymerchandise #disneylandmerchandise #disneyland #disneygiveaway
We spent the evening at Mountain Mile in Pigeon Fo We spent the evening at Mountain Mile in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and it was one of those simple, sweet evenings that just felt good. 

Located right in the heart of Pigeon Forge, @mountainmilepf is an open-air shopping and entertainment area with gorgeous views of the Smoky Mountains (seriously—those views 😍). It’s super family-friendly, easy to walk around, and there’s so much to do without feeling overwhelming.

We wandered through cute boutiques and shops, played yard games, and just enjoyed being outside in such a pretty setting. There are over 40 shops and restaurants here—plus thrill rides if that’s your thing (we skipped them this time, but they looked fun!).

It’s one of those places where you can go slow, let the kids run around a little, sit and relax with a coffee, or get your shopping fix—all in one spot. And the giant lawn area with yard games? Perfect for kids (or tired parents 😅).

If you’re visiting the Smokies and want something fun and low-stress that everyone can enjoy, I definitely recommend adding Mountain Mile to your list.

🎯 Free parking
📍Central location in Pigeon Forge
👟 Easy to walk + stroller friendly
🍽️ Restaurants, snacks, coffee, and more (Azul was delicious!)
🛍️ Shops from boutique to big brand
🎡 Rides + a massive lawn space for kids to play

Let me know if you’ve been or are planning to go—I’d love to hear your favorite spots there! #mountainmilepartner

#PigeonForge #MountainMile #FamilyTravel #ThingsToDoInPigeonForge #TennesseeTrip #TravelWithKids #SmokyMountainViews #FlourishAndGlowTravels #OutdoorFun #TravelWithFamily #FamilyAdventure #TravelTip
He did it for the gram 💁🏻‍♀️ #instagr He did it for the gram 💁🏻‍♀️

#instagramhusband #blooper #instagramfunny #funnyfails #funnyfalls #doorbellcamera
Before & after… and I’m honestly still in awe Before & after… and I’m honestly still in awe of the difference this rug made. 😁 

I found it at @revival and couldn’t be happier — it’s soft underfoot, doesn’t shed (huge win), and is stain-resistant, which is exactly what we need in a house with kids and pets. It also came with free shipping and easy returns, which made the whole process so simple.

Made in Turkey and beautifully crafted, it feels like the perfect mix of style and practicality — especially for a home that sees a lot of paw prints. 🐾 

Use code 10OFF-HEATHERSLG for 10% off, but this offer won’t last long! (🔗 in bio!) 

#RevivalRugs #RevivalPartner #beforeandafter #homedecorrefresh #newrug
✨ Ready to escape to the Shire… in Tennessee? ✨ Ready to escape to the Shire… in Tennessee? ✨ (ad)
Tucked away just outside of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Howard’s Hollow is a one-of-a-kind Hobbit-inspired hideaway that brings the magic of Middle-earth to life in the Smoky Mountains.

Here’s why this unforgettable vacation rental should be at the top of your bucket list:

🟢 Whimsical Hobbit Design

Round doors, mossy rooftops, and charming woodwork that make you feel like you’re living in a Tolkien tale

Fully themed with cozy, earthy vibes and magical details in every nook

🛏️ 3 Unique Bedrooms

Each room is carefully crafted with its own personality—whether you’re drawn to elven elegance, dwarven strength, or hobbit coziness. There are also 3 full bathrooms. 

🔥 Spacious & Cozy Living

A stone fireplace, frame TV, plush seating, and rustic design invite you to slow down and stay awhile

The full kitchen and dining area have ample seating—perfect for a family getaway or friends’ retreat

🛁 Relaxation Meets Nature

Soak in the hot tub under the stars after a day of exploring

Enjoy peaceful woodland views around the fire pit and a quiet, tucked-away feel

🌲 Set in a Unique & Enchanting Neighborhood

Part of a small fantasy-inspired community that feels like stepping into a storybook

Minutes from Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg—close to fun, yet a world away

Whether you’re a lifelong Tolkien fan or just craving a truly magical mountain escape, Howard’s Hollow is a place where memories are made and imaginations run wild. ✨

Ready to book your adventure? Visit howards-hollow.com or @howards_hollow  and enter the Hollow. 🌿🏡 
(🔗 in bio too!) 

#howardshollow #vacationrental #smokeymountains #pigeonforge #pigeonforgevacation #lordoftherings #harrypotterfan #lordoftheringsfan
Just a trio of mother-daughter magic. 🪄 One t Just a trio of mother-daughter magic. 🪄 

One taught me, one’s watching me—and together we’re laughing through it all. Happy Mother’s Day to the best and busiest job ever! 🥂 

#happymothersday❤️ #mothersday2025 
#myminime #motherdaughterlove #threegenerations

Copyright © 2025 · Through Heather's Looking Glass · Theme by Bella Creative Studio

%d