Beyond Tiny: How becoming a loser inspired me to think small

May 15 (left) | September 26 (right)

When I started to hear about the tiny home culture, I weighed nearly 300 lbs.

I loathed the active adventurists who fed on the thrill of being the outdoorsy type climbing mountains and becoming one with nature.

When I first came across the tiny home nation, I relished the thought of being at the stage of my life to comfortably feel like 200-500 sq. ft. would accommodate my large stature.

A lot of this perception changed once I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes on May 29, 2015.

A rarely selfish person, I had to put myself first and realize that if I wanted even the oddest dreams in life, like a tiny home, I'd have to prepare myself by living a healthier life.

After many tears and burying the copious amount of sweet tea and ice cream I so often craved, I decided my resort to making myself get healthy would be walking.

https://instagram.com/p/3UE6vUoRpa/

A stress reliever in its own right, walking was once my favorite physical activity.

After years of sitting at a desk job and overworking myself, I resorted to fast food drive-thrus and skipped the meditation walks.

After the diabetes diagnosis, I knew that putting myself first would pay off dividends. I began snapping the same pond in my neighborhood (pictured above) and pushed myself on those sweaty and hot summer days to make sure I'd be fit for not only myself but my future housing option.

75 miles later (nearly 40lbs by now)living a healthier lifestyle helped me gain new perspective on life.

For once it wasn't about getting nervous before going on an airplane and being worried your seatbelt wouldn't fasten or not getting out of breath every time I crawled or carried heavy items.

Let's face it. An obese person would have a terrible time adapting to a tiny home and if I wanted to make sure my passion turned to reality, I had to do more than just regulate my blood sugar.

Four months after being diagnosed and consistently walking each week, I raced in my first-ever 5k benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital This past weekend.

It felt invigorating being able to complete 3 miles without my legs cramping or drowning in sweat.

It's been an exciting ride and I know that the longer I pursue the path of getting healthier, I'll be that much more comfortable in a tiny home.

In your current lifestyle, would you feel comfortable in a tiny home?

Stay tuned for next week when I go behind the scenes at Tennessee Tiny Homes for their annual Open House!