Happy one-year fitness-versary to me! Whoa, what a year it has been! I look like a new person. I feel like a new person. It has been a re-birthing, of sorts. If someone told me a year ago that I would be down over 40lbs and smaller than I was when I got married, I would not have believed them. I work hard to be disciplined in lots of areas, but physical fitness has never been one of them. It has always been my biggest vice. This year, I achieved just as many (if not more!) mental milestones than I did physical ones. There are no words to truly explain how victorious I feel. This journey has been so empowering to me. Let me be clear: Becoming disciplined in the area of physical fitness has never been about a number on a scale for me. It has never been about a size. It has never been about cultural standards. Becoming disciplined in this area has always been about balance and being a good steward of my resources, in this case, my body. For much of my life I have not been a good steward in this area. While I was never an overweight kid or teenager, I did not have healthy eating habits, which over time turned into an unhealthy relationship with food as an adult. Balance is a word that Ben and I strive to live by. Moderation is always key. For me, becoming disciplined in this area was crucial to live in a more balanced way. So, what prompted this change? A year ago, I was in my sister’s wedding. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple but on the inside, I was struggling. How I felt about myself on the inside did not match how I looked on the outside. How I wanted to feel about myself seemed out of reach. I am a very structured person who works best when I have a plan; when I feel in control. Nothing feels more out of control than mindlessly eating whatever you wish day in and day out. Not only did I feel out of control, but I felt sluggish, lazy, and uncomfortable in my clothes that kept getting tighter. Now, I am not one to practice negative self-talk. It is never helpful. I actively practice positive self-talk and I have loved myself at every weight throughout my twenties. However, it was during this time that I came to realize that things were way out of balance for me. So, how did I make a true lifestyle change? At the time of my sister’s wedding, I was working a travel contract in Arkansas. I made up my mind that once I returned to Arkansas, I would buy a FitBit. I had never in my life counted calories, learned about macros, exercised regularly, or knew what a normal resting heart rate was. Thinking about this now is insane to me, because it seems so simple. So obvious. But, everyone’s journey is different. I started out simple. My goal was to burn more calories than I ate. At the end of the day, the same math used for balancing a checkbook is the same math used for balancing caloric intake. This is key: I did not ever “go on a diet”, complete a diet plan (i.e., keto, whole 30, south beach etc), take a weight loss supplement, or take any appetite suppressants during this entire journey. I literally began counting what was going in my mouth and watching how many calories I burned each day. If I ate a cupcake at 8pm and didn’t have the calories for it, I got off the couch and went for a jog until I had burned the number of calories in that cupcake. Simple as that. Now, I am not knocking anyone who uses supplements or diet plans. For me though, that would not have been sustainable. I love food too much, especially carbs. So, I chose to make sustainable changes for myself that would allow me to lose weight and keep it off. Regarding exercise: I am not one for really strenuous exercise, so I knew that I didn’t want to start with an exercise plan that I wasn’t likely to maintain after weight loss. I also didn’t want to hate my life during this process. So, I set out with a goal of walking three miles per day. I did this everyday for three weeks. Then, I was walking so fast that it became easier to jog. Thus birthed the realization that despite many failed attempts, I actually could run. Let me make this clear: I have not turned into a fitness junky. I do not have a gym membership, I still do not like CrossFit, I do not run every day. But, I do make it a point to walk my dogs for several miles every day when the weather is nice. When the weather is bad, I make sure I get on the treadmill. On days that I do neither, I do not get to eat a cupcake or french fries. It’s all about balance. I have also gotten more creative in my fitness. I learned while living in Washington that I love to hike, so when I can get to a trail I use that as my exercise for the day. Doing things that I really enjoy has helped make this a true lifestyle change. Trust me, I still love a good night of Chinese take out and Lifetime movies. However, now I make sure that I have exercised earlier in the day and I don’t allow that one night to become a whole week of poor choices. Failing to plan is planning to fail. As long as there is a plan, success can be achieved. I want to take this time to give the BIGGEST SHOUTOUT to Ben Cottrell. He has been such a good friend to me during this journey. Throughout our entire marriage he has always been gently nudging me toward more balance in this way. There were many times I tried to make changes, times I was preoccupied with other things, and times when I flat out didn’t care. Through it all, he has always spoken empowering and positive messages into my life and given so much grace. He has never once demanded change, insulted me, or pushed me past my limits. He has been incredibly life giving to me. So, what have I gained besides weight loss throughout this journey? So much. Things that I didn’t even know would change, have. Here’s a list of some of the changes I have experienced over the past 365 days: · Heart rate- when I began this journey, my average resting heart rate was 72. My resting heart rate now averages around 60. · Loss of inches- I have lost overall 23 inches from my body since starting this journey. · Gained control- throughout this journey I have achieved an empowering sense of control that comes from making good choices and living a balanced lifestyle. · Blood Pressure- my blood pressure was always good, averaging 112/70. It now averages 90/60. · Fitness Gains- prior to this journey, I had never been able to run a mile without stopping. I can now run up to four miles straight, though I don’t do it often. · Confidence: achieving balance in this area of my life has brought about an immense amount of confidence. Mainly confidence in myself that I can set goals and achieve them. · New Wardrobe- this has actually been annoying to me. I do not like to shop. Also, working from home and wearing yoga pants everyday has kept me from shopping. So, currently I’m rotating the same few outfits until I find the desire to brave the mall. I literally have zero summer clothes, so this needs to happen sooner rather than later. At this point in my journey, “the house is not on fire”. So, I have been more lenient with myself over the past two months and basically have operated in a maintenance mode. I would like to lose 5-10 more pounds and I started working toward that goal last week. I have learned so much about being intentional during this journey. I have also learned how to experience so much freedom in an area that used to make me feel enslaved. I’m convinced that true freedom in any area of our lives lies within the balance of boundaries and discipline. If you find yourself looking for more balance in this way but are not sure where to begin, I would love to be a resource for you. One of my favorite things about life is digging in deep with others. I welcome any questions about my journey or about creating more life balance, in general. I had very minimal knowledge when I started this journey and I am so grateful for those who patiently answered my questions and gave me invaluable information. Here are some additional resources to help you get started if you are looking to begin a similar journey on your own:
This is the link to FitBit’s website. Here you will find information about all the different types of watches and how they can help you be successful. I do not think that anyone has to have this or something similar to be successful but for me, it was essential to my success. There are a million other types of watches out there that can also do the trick. I have been very happy with my FitBit ( I have the Charge 2), but Ben swears that a Garmin is better. Whatevs. https://www.fitbit.com/store?msclkid=7a3ec59e9dbb1d60e2b89f2698e6847b&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=US%20%7C%20Fitbit%20%7C%20Brand%20Search%20%7C%20Core%20%7C%20Exact&utm_term=fitbit&utm_content=Core_Exact&gclid=CPD_iP-miNoCFaOrZQod6VgOcA&gclsrc=ds&dclid=CPeljf-miNoCFbjH4wcdndgFOw This is the link to Stronger U Nutrition’s website. Stronger U is an excellent resource for those wanting a more structured eating plan. I highly recommend it if you have some extra cash to throw at it. Ben and I completed one 12 week session with Stronger U and it was a wonderful learning experience for us. Stronger U does not provide diet plans, but gives you loads of information on how to create a sustainable lifestyle change that will meet your specific goals. Ben is working toward another session in the future, so if you sign up list his name as your referral. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram to see lots of progress pictures from their clients. https://strongeru.com/ If Stronger U is not in your budget, but you would like to learn more about macros (proteins, carbs, fats) and get a general idea of what macros you should be eating to hit your goals, check out the website below. They offer a free macro calculator and will send you a macro estimate straight to your email inbox. It’s a great starting place for those who are just starting this journey. https://www.iifym.com/ Thank you all so much for reading and thank you to everyone who has shared a part in my fitness journey. It truly takes a village, and I would love to be part of yours.
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