What could possibly have changed in the last decade? Well…turns out a heck of a lot more than just my pant size and hair color, that’s what!
Here we go with this #tenyearchallenge thing…
A little insight into these 2 photos because there’s a lot more than body composition that’s transformed over the years! Here’s what was going on with the girl on the left➖
Me at well OVER 30% body fat, stuck in a serious workout rut while navigating my way through college, work, trying to have a social life, hit the gym (even though I’d crept up from a size 2 to size 13 I had been hitting the gym but wasn’t consistent with my fitness & nutrition efforts. I was bored, on autopilot at the gym just going through the motions, was ALWAYS going on a “diet” on Monday only to eat whatever I wanted all weekend because I’d been so “good” on my diet that week and so the cycle went…) but also low on energy, frustrated with myself & wondering where my willpower to stay on track with healthy eats and consistent workouts was. I was FAR from my most fit and healthy self!
At several points I felt defeated as I couldn’t just stick to something and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. At one point I was so frustrated with myself that I stopped reading fitness magazines. Wild, right?! I was in such a rut that I felt the images of the women in the magazines, the workouts that they were doing (which, by the way, many of which were being shot by the magazines at my gym or at the beach down the street from my very apartment) were serving as a constant reminder of what I wanted to achieve but for some reason just couldn’t follow through and get results.
So…what changed?!?
The photo on the right is now my year round “normal” that I’ve maintained for quite a few years‼️ Post-college graduation, post-working in corporate America (I left that arena a handful or so years back when I realized how much it meant to me to work with others ) and now helping others change their lives with health & fitness, too! I have more endurance than ever & seriously love being active whenever I can (the girl on the left NEVER would have hopped on a mountain bike or hiked a volcano- or hiked anything unless it ended with bottomless mimosas!), I never shy away from travel or social events out of fear it will derail my progress & I am having tons of fun with my fitness! 🥳 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What finally helped me embrace AND ENJOY a healthier way of life were gradual tweaks to my lifestyle that EVENTUALLY BECAME HABITS !
Here are a few that had a big impact:
✅ I stopped the “all or nothing” approach with the gym and decided to add more variety to my workout approach. I knew that if I was truly enjoying myself, I’d be looking forward to it and would view it as a privilege or fun activity and not something I dreaded like a chore. THIS WAY KEY! Switching up workouts & adopting a more flexible approach by no longer thinking that each workout has to be done at the gym in order to “count” is probably the change that’s had the biggest overall impact on not just my health & fitness but my entire life.
✅ I’m active in some way each/most days because I LOVE IT not because I feel I “have to”
✅ I’ve rediscovered my love for the great outdoors & many workouts are done outside️= NO MORE WORKOUT RUTS, JUST MORE ADVENTURES
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✅ No foods are EVER labeled as “off limits” & I don’t use the term “diet” regarding my approach to food
✅ I track progress based on how I’m feeling in/out of the gym, strength, endurance & more!
✅ If I make a less than healthy choice with a meal, I don’t let that frustrate me or throw me off course anymore! Instead of waiting until the next start to a new week, I just make a healthier, more nutrient dense choice at the next MEAL!
Even though I was hesitant to dig up photos at the outset of this ten year challenge bit , comparing the two photos not just from an “at a glance” but where I’m at in not just my fitness but my life overall has made me even more grateful for change, for progress in every aspect of my life and for the reminder that we truly can accomplish far more than we often give ourselves credit for.
We just need to get started.
So…what are you waiting for? Start now, and remember that you have the power to make a change any time you wish, and results are yours for the taking!