Outfit,
meal, workout, you name it. That was my driving principal. How will this affect
my appearance? What will people think if I make this decision?
If
something made me look better, I wasn’t necessarily worried about how it made
me feel. Fad diets, crazy workouts, overextending myself with too many
commitments. There were too many balls in the air and none of them left me
feeling secure.
The
summer before my final semester in college, there was a significant shift that
ultimately changed the way I viewed everything.
I
joined a fitness accountability group. Now, I’m not talking paying for shakes
and wraps and other gimmicks. It was a friend of a friend who wanted to have a
group of people to hold her accountable on her fitness journey as she prepared
for her wedding.
A
group of girls who were complete strangers came together to complete BBG by Kayla Itsines. It was tough, life-altering and everything that I never knew I
needed. In 20 short weeks, my life completely changed. I was stronger, lost a
considerable amount of weight but it also gave me a level of self-confidence I
never knew was possible.
I
started believing in myself and everything my body was capable of. I felt
powerful, confident and started basing my decisions based on how I feel.
Two
years later, I still make decisions based on how it makes me feel. Will this
outfit make me feel confident? With this workout make me feel stronger? Am I
starving and want a whole bag of Trader Joe’s orange chicken? I can find different ways to treat myself and
when I listen to my body.
Life
is all about balance. And the choices you make should leave you feeling strong
and confident. When I leave a Barre Code class with sore muscles and sweat
dripping from every pore, I leave knowing I’m stronger. When I find a good pair
of jeans or work pants that make me comfortable and hug all my curves, I can
walk out of a store knowing I feel confident. And valuing relationships in my
life that leave me feeling empowered helps embody what I want for myself.
I’m not participating in every trend; I’m not
pretending that I don’t leave it all in the studio. Sometimes I want a salad
and sometimes I want a cheeseburger, French fries, and cookies. And it’s all
okay. It’s all about finding balance and listening to how your body feels. If
you’re tired, skip a gym day and let your body rest because that’s just as
important for your body as a day at the gym.
Sometimes it’s as easy as taking a step back
and asking why we’re doing something. It’s all about mindset. Sometimes I still
go workout and have a negative outlook or I feel like I have nothing in my
closet I take a revaluate my attitude, take a deep breath and remember what
makes me strong and what makes me confident.
I originally wrote this for She Laughs Collective and felt that it was important to share with not only the beautiful souls over there but your's as well.
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