Let me be reeeeal honest right now. I’m one of the most gym-challenged people out there. I pretty much have sticks for arms so there goes any powerlifting on the horizon and my favorite form of cardio is walking through the Dollar Spot at Target 23 times in a row. I never really played any sports growing up and I admit that it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for me to hit up fast food spots 3 times a day. My average meal plan in high school consisted of an occasional quick run through McDonald’s for an iced mocha (extra whip) and a McMuffin meal in the AM, a full order of Pizza Hut breadsticks and a huge slice or two of pepperoni for lunch and two Cheesy Gordita Crunches and a large order of nachos ala Taco Bell for dinner. Aaand probably a Dr. Pepper or two at each meal. Not to mention the chips, candy bar and additional soda from the vending machines for a midday snack.
This kind of eating was pretty consistent for me as a kid. My sweet mom would try to cook for me but guess who wouldn’t DREAM of eating grilled chicken or, Lord help us, vegetables that weren’t drenched in Big Mac sauce? This girl. I lived off of French fries and inordinate amounts of sugar for years and at the time, I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, I don’t gain any weight, this is great, I can just eat like this forever, now can I supersize that?!”
Fast forward 10 years later uh, that thought process didn’t hold up. Hello, slower metabolism! I’ve always had a slight build–in fact, I was so boney, I was constantly teased about having an eating disorder. {that’s another blog post for another time.} This led me to falsely believe genetics would be on my side forever. Can you guess what started changing right after high school? 🙄
This year, I’ve finally committed to making a change and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Y'all, this is so far beyond just changing the way you look. I admit that’s part of it–dreams of working a bikini with rock hard abs on a beach with my husband tend to dance through my head from time to time. But for me, it’s more about the way I FEEL. Over the past 3 months, I’ve become way more energetic, light on my feet, improved my skin and overall “glow”, and, lets face it, I’m less moody! Endorphins are a beautiful thing.
Since hitting my heaviest weight just over a year ago, I’m officially down almost 20 pounds. It may not sound like a lot but man, I sure feel it! No more sluggishness, no more feeling…well, for lack of a better word, gross. I think there’s a lot to be said for that. When you feel good, you look good. The self-esteem boost and sense of empowerment is real.
That’s not to say any of this has been easy. There are days the thought of the elliptical makes my head spin. I’m often tired, sore, not in the right mindset or just plain over it. Let’s be real, a bucket of fried chicken will always sound better than a salad. Occasionally, I literally have to force myself off the couch, suck down a few cups of coffee and remind myself that I’m worth it. There’s really nothing more important than your health, y'all. {But seriously, aIl you have to do is look at a few pictures of peak Britney Spears’ bod and that’s the little extra push you need.}
My whole point in all this is that I sincerely hope I can help inspire others to make the changes they need, no matter how small, to improving their overall health and well-being. Please ladies, do NOT be intimidated by change. Don’t feel embarrassed to be seen at the gym. You’re supposed to sweat. You’re supposed to look like a hot mess. You only have ONE body. Take care of it. It’s the only place you have to live. Seriously. Let that sink in. This is your HEALTH. Your LIFE. It’s not just about the size of your jeans. This isn’t about what other people think of you. This isn’t about fitting into a new dress or looking like that photoshopped actress on the cover of Cosmo. This is literally about your quality of life. For some, this could be a matter of life or death. You won’t ever be as young again as you are today. Why are we so quick to stop caring about ourselves? The body you’re in right now is the only vessel you have.
You CAN do this. You CAN change. You ARE worth it. Confidence and well-being are so, so important. Again, your health is so, so important! Take a look at yourself. Right now. Run to a mirror and look. If you can say you are 100 % happy with where you’re at, I applaud and admire you. If you don’t feel like you are the best version of yourself, become it. Start the process. At the risk of sounding way too harsh, only you are responsible for you. If you’re miserable, you can’t blame anyone but yourself. Get moving. No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everybody on the couch. And no matter how many times you said you were going to stop eating junk food and ended up at Burger King the next day…so what? It’s never too late to start now. You can’t get the butt you want by sitting on it. ;) Exercise that will-power. Prove to yourself that you can. Heck, if you don’t feel like you can, prove yourself wrong!
I don’t work out because I hate my body. I work out because I love it. I love me. I love my life. I’m no beast in the gym. I’m uncoordinated, I have shockingly weak legs and I’m slower than molasses on the treadmill. But I’m trying. I’m changing. I’m improving. I’m exceeding my goals. I’m feeling better about myself each day. And I am so, so happy.
Like I said before, chase that happiness, girl. You deserve it. You are so much stronger than you realize. You have self-control. Use it. Defy peoples opinions of you. Defy the opinion you have of yourself. Push harder than you did yesterday if you want a different tomorrow. When you feel like quitting, remember why you started in the first place. Repeat it to yourself until it’s drilled into your brain. Tape a picture of that bikini to the mirror if you need to. Good health is the most obvious sign of your self-respect, self-love and self-worth. If you don’t show it to yourself, how can you expect others to show it to you? Love yourself. Respect the body that has been given to you because this is the ONLY life you have. Today is another chance to get it right.
Kick that booty into gear, sister.
-Kaley
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