I don’t especially love sharing my “before” pictures. Not so much because I’m embarrassed because of how I looked, but because I really don’t care to revisit the mental state I possessed back then. It’s a part of my story though, and an important part at that.
So here is me in 2010-ish, and me this summer on the right… The left picture was about 2 years through my healthy lifestyle change. I’d lost probably 40 pounds by the time the picture on the left was taken. The right one is close to where I am today, I have a little more muscle now because I have taken a powerlifting approach in my training.
There are so many things that had to happen for me to progress the way I have. I should also add now, that I am nowhere near the end of my fitness journey. I find new goals, new methods and tactics. I learn more and I figure out what works best for the current season of my life.
There are things that I never would’ve experienced success without, however. Especially when I first started out. They may not be the same things that work for you, but we can definitely find what WILL.
I woke up early. Sometimes, early needed to be 4 am. Thankfully now it’s 5 am most days, but regardless, this was probably the most important change. Other things had to happen, for this to become a habit though.
I found a workout style I love. Some people love Zumba. Some people commit to cross fit. Some love bodybuilding and others, yoga. Find what’s best for you and you’ll be more likely to stick with it.
I set goals. No matter how small, I set goals for EVERYTHING.
I smiled more. This one is cheesy. But it’s very key to success. As is the next one…
I found a hobby. This allowed me to have some clarity, down time and focus my thoughts in a productive way.
I reached out to others in my position. If you are old enough to remember, 2007-ish was the dawning of Myspace (yes I just went there….) and I sought out people and pages geared towards my goals.
I stopped smoking. Yes. I smoked. Off an on for about 6 years. I would stop when I was pregnant and begin again afterwards. It was terrible and by far the hardest change to make, especially since it hindered my weight loss temporarily when I quit.
I joined the gym. For the first 2 years, I ran, played with my kids and did little challenges I found online. Eventually, to stay motivated, I needed the gym. I haven’t looked back since.
I stopped buying garbage. This was another huge step. Especially because my family was used to eating a certain way, I had to change that for all of us.
I got a divorce. hahahaha, just kidding… but it’s definitely changed the way things work a bit. Actually 10: I stopped being so hard on myself. You are human. You will experience set backs. You will struggle. You will have to take a different route and sometimes, as hard as it is, you may even have to start from scratch. But the beauty of all of that is this: You are under no obligation to any but yourself to make YOU better. Do your best and take your time.
Your ten things may consist of some of these. Or all of them. Or none. It might be 1 thing. It might be 37. But you won’t know until you get started. Start with step one. There’s help along the way, you’re never alone.
Trust me when I say this: I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. You are not hopeless, it is not too late, and you CAN do this. Just take the first step!
Grind & Shine 