Fitness, Schmitness :: It’s for Life

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So, fitness and workout journeys? Blah! Fitness, schmitness. There are so many cliché sayings. It’s nauseating. And here I am, being nauseating with my workout posts, Apple Watch activity, and some motivation to get people moving.

I, too, thought it was annoying, until I realized I was defending my own page. Well, if social media is supposed to reflect who you are, (we know there are lies, too) this is me! Pre-Covid, my alarm clock was going off at 5:30-5:45am, Monday through Friday. Yes, 5 days a week! Me. The one who is truly the meme “One thing about me, I’m gonna sleep.”

Even if I went to bed at midnight, I am up at 5:30am. Once my toes touched the floor, it was “Go” time. I adapted to it pretty quickly because I knew, for sure, after work, if I’m not going to get drinks, I AM GOING HOME! Evenings are not for me, still. It’s something about the morning that (although my attitude is trash and my eyes roll at each instruction), I am most productive and it makes me pleasant during the day.

Covid time, I immediately purchased all the equipment I could. I refused to go back to where I was. I was not gaining it back. Nope. Nah. I even got on the scale daily and I don’t do scales. I check with clothes and how much I jiggle going up my steps. One day, I was up 3 pounds. and I, internally, lost it.

I started working out daily with a 600 calories plus goal…DAILY. Now, that was the dumbest ever. Combined with that 600, I started running heavy. Like, I hated running. Now doing it to E V E R Y D A Y. I started with three miles and progressed to five miles. STUPID!!! Cause what!? Still kept “weighing in” daily. Got back down to what I was, but didn’t slow down. Looked up, lost five pounds. and now I’m disturbed about it. But anyway, that eagerness and excitement has not always been there.

Let’s talk body.

My high school body was pretty decent. Pretty small-medium frame. Wearing the shortest of short shorts to Day Five Alive. College. Still a small to medium frame. Breasts that came out of nowhere (pre baby and they outweighed me.) But definitely ran in the gym with Soffee shorts and a sports bra. Went to a hip hop step class (Clay…in Preston at WKU) like twice a week. Only touched a weight in my weight training class (PE credit.) Got pregnant. I was about 122 pounds (keep in mind, I was 20 years old.) The day I gave birth, I was 155. Two days post-delivery, I was 120. I stayed in the 120-125 area until about 22-23 years old. Lots of Thirsty Thursdays and just living. I may have gone to the gym 10 times a semester. But was just being cute and medium sweating.

Graduate and I’m in the 130’s. Well, it’s cool because I looked fine. Still wore a small. All was well.

My God, bring on 27 years old and I’m fat. Like, wth. Start CrossFit. It was amazing. A group of friends (because at 27 years old, you can still kick it. You’re not like a super adult yet) 2-3 days per week. Then, we’d come to my house and cook. And it wasn’t always the healthiest. But, we were spending time. I had a kid, but he was just there. At the gym and when we ate. He was at the gym so much, they would train him while I worked out.

Then, it was random YMCA classes. A boot camp here and there. The staff at the school where I taught did a free Curves membership, did that. In summary, nothing substantial or intense.

Then, 30 years old. My Lord. This face was fat! Literally, my 30th birthday, I saw it. I hated it! Around 31 years old, I started going to a group boot camp. It was good. It was different. For about two years, I lost nothing. Self-confidence, trash. About three years later, I lost five pounds. Yay! But I didn’t “SEE” it.

Well, then I quit. For about a year. I did little to nothing. Then, I went back to the same place and started all over again. Only losing two and three pounds here and there. I discussed it with the trainer and he said “oh maybe you just have a thyroid problem.” Well, I’ve never had a thyroid problem. Nor did I have a thyroid problem.

Shortly after that, I stopped going. January 2019, a friend and I said “let’s see how “in” shape we get.” Bet! Well, that was January and we didn’t start training until May. As soon as we started, the only thing that could make us miss is kid shit and maybe work. And we worked out in the evening (I know what I said above.) Around September, we began mornings and very rarely missed a morning. We went hard 5-6 days a week.

November, I SAW IT. Like, wait what? Yes, finally, something is working and I can genuinely say “thank you” when someone comments on this transformation. Well, I certainly was not stopping now.

The challenges. The dedication. The commitment. The sacrifice.

All of it worth it. I protected my 4% of the day. It was mine. The rest of the day is for others. I have not stopped. I’m not as aggressive with the calories on the watch. I’m now enjoying challenges and exceeding my own expectations.

I’m no longer super sore because I move everyday. I have energy the moment I wake up. Coffee is just a formality. I am conscious with food choices. I don’t do diets. I started intermittent fasting and it made a lot of difference. I don’t do the cheat day thing. I just make decent choices. My last check up, I had the heart rate of a 25 year old. I’m not on medication. If anything hurts, it’s because I hadn’t been stretching or resting.

Being active and working out isn’t just for aesthetics. It’s for life.

It’s to release endorphins which helps relieve stress and support combating depression and anxiety. Once activated, the endorphin release triggers receptors in your brain that are responsible for perceiving pain. Which means, the more you workout, the less you will hurt or feel sore. Endorphins also make you feel positive about your body, which makes you more committed to your journey.

When people say “it’s all mental,” it really is! Your mind can trick you into believing it’s not working. You’re not progressing and it’s not worth it. It’s a fight. It’s not easy. This doesn’t happen overnight.

Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Look at people’s workout videos and regimen, but not for comparison, but for motivation. Be super careful with spending money on supplements and random “fat loss” items. Don’t buy into the hype of bodies.

Think about your why and when you figure out your how. Start letting that propel, motivate, inspire you. Be your own goal! All those dope bodies you see haven’t always looked like that. Most of them began with low self-esteem, no confidence, jiggly bellies and intoned arms.

You are the blank canvas. Create what you want to see! Again, not easy. I’ve come a long way from body shapers and unbuttoning jeans. But the reward of not having to tell someone to take a picture down or forgetting to suck it in, all worth it! Started at 157. I am now floating between 135-137. I got to 135 pounds, nine months after starting. It is nowhere near a sprint. But it’s the most rewarding marathon.

“Start moving while you can so you’re never in a position where you can’t!” – Dr. Erica Gray Motivated to start, visit: [email protected] @_grayfit_ on Instagram

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