I don’t have the most defined quadriceps, and I sure as hell don’t have a 6 pack. So why do I post so many pictures of me flexing? Because, I am proud of how far I have come. I love my body. I want to inspire others to feel the same way about their bodies. We have all had our ups and downs in our journeys, but you should always be proud of how far you have come. It’s taken a long time for me to give up diet coke and ice cream, but seeing my progression with every picture I take fuels me. So yes, I know that my body is not perfect, but my body is progress and that is what makes me keep going.
These things don’t just happen over night, they happen over a long period of time, it takes effort, dedication, and lots of will power. Today I want to help anyone who has reached a bump in the road, feeling down, or is about to start a fitness journey! Hope this tips help.
Clear your mind of can’t
This says it all. If you believe you can, you are already half way there. It isn’t your body that you have to talk into working out, it is your mind that you have to convince. The mind is very powerful; it can lift you up or bring you down. Start by saying 2 things you can do for everything you think you ‘can’t’. My mom used to always say that can't is not in your vocabulary, so take it out of yours! Because in reality, you CAN... you just choose not to.
This months diet is next month’s body
You won’t see results over night. I mean, you may see small changes, but not huge results. Like I said before, this is a process. What you are doing today is what you will see a month from now. You will see changes in your body whether it is months or years away, but that time will pass anyways, so you might as well make it worth it, right? TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS. You are the only one who can do this for yourself.
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all
This goes for YOU and OTHERS. You would tell your best friend she is fat, so why would you tell yourself? You need to start treating yourself with more respect. YOU ARE DOING THE BEST YOU CAN. And by chance if you are not doing the best you can, then you know you need to work harder. But there are positive ways to push yourself.
It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, it matters what YOU are doing
I totally get that there are people who are ahead of you in the journey… but they have their struggles just like you do and they have been where you are right now. You can’t keep comparing yourself if you want to move forward. You can look up to others and use them as motivation and inspiration, but don’t let their progress get you down. Example: Rachel can see her triceps perfectly when she flexes… I still need the right lighting to be able to see mine. But you know what? 3 months ago I couldn’t see them at ALL. And you know what else? I couldn’t be happier that Rachel can see hers. She has a completely different body than I do. She has put in so much effort to get where she is. So rather than getting upset that she is seeing results quicker, it gets me excited because she has proven to herself it is possible to see these changes in your body.
Step out and stay out of your comfort zone
I used to be scared to workout on the downstairs level of my gym. That is where all the ‘super fit’ people would work out and so I decided that I didn’t want to workout down there because I never fit in. I remember the first day I decided to workout downstairs with Tati, we used the Smith machine and I was so nervous. I started building up to doing it by myself and more and more exercises. Now, sometimes I don’t even make it upstairs. I got over the fear because I realized that my progress has nothing to do with the person next to me. We are on completely different journeys.
Every single day
You can’t expect to get where you want to be by just putting in work 5 days out of the week. This is one of the most beautiful lifestyles you can live. Learning to change your mindset, your body, and being able to have confidence in yourself? Who wouldn’t want that? Choosing to be holistically healthy is one of the best choices you will ever make. But, it takes dedication, even on your rest days. You are constantly trying to better yourself not only physically, but also mentally. You are trying to get over that roadblock that stops you every time. This time I challenge you to push past it because you know what happens when you stop, what happens when you don’t?
ALSO- speaking of rest days, please please please always remember to take them. Your body needs rest and your muscles need time to recover so they can GROW.
Do it for the right reasons
When I first started this lifestyle I struggled tremendously because I was doing it for completely wrong reasons. I was doing it because I hated my body. In reality, you should be doing this because you love yourself enough to let yourself be happy and strong. You want to better yourself, because although you were beautiful before, there is ALWAYS room for improvement. I don’t have an ‘end goal’ in my journey, my goal is to just be the happiest, healthiest person I can be. So when you are making your goals, remember to jot down ‘love myself’ as the number one goal.
Don’t be afraid to post a progress picture or workout next to someone who can life 10 more pounds than you. This is not a race or a competition against anyone else. The only competition you have is yourself. You control your mind. You control your destiny. Take baby steps if you have to, but remember that you CAN do it. I am always here for extra help and support as well, don’t be afraid to contact me!
These things don’t just happen over night, they happen over a long period of time, it takes effort, dedication, and lots of will power. Today I want to help anyone who has reached a bump in the road, feeling down, or is about to start a fitness journey! Hope this tips help.
Clear your mind of can’t
This says it all. If you believe you can, you are already half way there. It isn’t your body that you have to talk into working out, it is your mind that you have to convince. The mind is very powerful; it can lift you up or bring you down. Start by saying 2 things you can do for everything you think you ‘can’t’. My mom used to always say that can't is not in your vocabulary, so take it out of yours! Because in reality, you CAN... you just choose not to.
This months diet is next month’s body
You won’t see results over night. I mean, you may see small changes, but not huge results. Like I said before, this is a process. What you are doing today is what you will see a month from now. You will see changes in your body whether it is months or years away, but that time will pass anyways, so you might as well make it worth it, right? TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS. You are the only one who can do this for yourself.
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all
This goes for YOU and OTHERS. You would tell your best friend she is fat, so why would you tell yourself? You need to start treating yourself with more respect. YOU ARE DOING THE BEST YOU CAN. And by chance if you are not doing the best you can, then you know you need to work harder. But there are positive ways to push yourself.
It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, it matters what YOU are doing
I totally get that there are people who are ahead of you in the journey… but they have their struggles just like you do and they have been where you are right now. You can’t keep comparing yourself if you want to move forward. You can look up to others and use them as motivation and inspiration, but don’t let their progress get you down. Example: Rachel can see her triceps perfectly when she flexes… I still need the right lighting to be able to see mine. But you know what? 3 months ago I couldn’t see them at ALL. And you know what else? I couldn’t be happier that Rachel can see hers. She has a completely different body than I do. She has put in so much effort to get where she is. So rather than getting upset that she is seeing results quicker, it gets me excited because she has proven to herself it is possible to see these changes in your body.
Step out and stay out of your comfort zone
I used to be scared to workout on the downstairs level of my gym. That is where all the ‘super fit’ people would work out and so I decided that I didn’t want to workout down there because I never fit in. I remember the first day I decided to workout downstairs with Tati, we used the Smith machine and I was so nervous. I started building up to doing it by myself and more and more exercises. Now, sometimes I don’t even make it upstairs. I got over the fear because I realized that my progress has nothing to do with the person next to me. We are on completely different journeys.
Every single day
You can’t expect to get where you want to be by just putting in work 5 days out of the week. This is one of the most beautiful lifestyles you can live. Learning to change your mindset, your body, and being able to have confidence in yourself? Who wouldn’t want that? Choosing to be holistically healthy is one of the best choices you will ever make. But, it takes dedication, even on your rest days. You are constantly trying to better yourself not only physically, but also mentally. You are trying to get over that roadblock that stops you every time. This time I challenge you to push past it because you know what happens when you stop, what happens when you don’t?
ALSO- speaking of rest days, please please please always remember to take them. Your body needs rest and your muscles need time to recover so they can GROW.
Do it for the right reasons
When I first started this lifestyle I struggled tremendously because I was doing it for completely wrong reasons. I was doing it because I hated my body. In reality, you should be doing this because you love yourself enough to let yourself be happy and strong. You want to better yourself, because although you were beautiful before, there is ALWAYS room for improvement. I don’t have an ‘end goal’ in my journey, my goal is to just be the happiest, healthiest person I can be. So when you are making your goals, remember to jot down ‘love myself’ as the number one goal.
Don’t be afraid to post a progress picture or workout next to someone who can life 10 more pounds than you. This is not a race or a competition against anyone else. The only competition you have is yourself. You control your mind. You control your destiny. Take baby steps if you have to, but remember that you CAN do it. I am always here for extra help and support as well, don’t be afraid to contact me!