Has anything been done about your cousin?
No. I went to the police, they did a rape kit, I filed the police report. When I found out I was pregnant, I went back and at that time, I had reached out and told two family members. I told my mother and she could not keep it in her space, so she called down to Charlotte and basically told everyone about the situation. So by the time it got back and he was questioned by police, he said it was consensual. Because there was no one there to corroborate my story, it was basically my word versus his. I was the only person in my family to speak out against him.
People have asked me, “Why not go after him for child support?” One, because that would make it ok. Two, I don’t want him to be any part of my child’s life. No part at all, because that’s not a child that I asked for. But what happened was, God took a situation that was satanic and devilish and turned it into a blessing for ME. So that is my son and that’s all there is to it.
So once you chose to practice forgiveness and embrace your son, which then motivated you to have weight-loss surgery, how did your diet and fitness regimen change?
I’m not going to lie. I don’t work out. And the thing is, huge misconception: You do not have to kill yourself in the gym to lose weight. If you want to build muscle, tone, all of that? Great. You don’t have to do it with a 20-pound weight. You can do it while you’re sitting down with a 5-pound weight. You just increase your reps. You can do it with a can of green beans! You don’t have to go out and spend all of this money on personal trainers. After my surgery, my diet changed in reference to portion control. That’s what weight-loss surgery is. You change your portions and it’s a tool to do that. You could have weight-loss surgery and if you’re still eating the same crap you were eating before, you’re not going to yield any results. So I started to make healthier eating decisions. After the first 80 pounds I stalled, but I continued to lose inches. The scale wasn’t moving, but that’s when I realized I don’t want to go by the scale. I go by the way my clothes fit. Coming from a 28 to a 12 in jeans is amazing. So for me, it’s about a goal. If I can fit these clothes? Great. I base my victories not off of how many pounds I’ve lost, but off of my non-scale victories.
Fitness Fridays: After Being Raped By Her Cousin, Zel Pardo Lost 179 Pounds And Gained A Sense Of Peace
- edgy
