About a year ago I decided to make some changes. I started to make exercise a priority. I cut out all sugar. I made sure I was active every hour. Yes, weight loss was my main goal, but after a couple of months I was feeling better. I was sleeping better. My stomach didn’t hurt everyday and I had a ton of energy. Despite all of this, it was still an everyday struggle to not quit. I was sick of reading Pinterest inspirational quotes on why I should be doing it and to keep going. They were doing nothing for me. Every workout article and every fitness post on Facebook all told me the same thing, that I would love this new fitness life. Well I didn’t, even though I was getting the results I was after, it was still fucking hard. So that’s why I sat down to write this today. To be honest with you about the hard truths. Maybe you feel like me and maybe you don’t. Either way, here are some honest takes on making fitness a priority, not just for a few months, but as a lifestyle change.

1. You’re going to want to quit.

Some weeks I have to force myself EVERY damn day. Some weeks I only have to claw my way begrudgingly to the elliptical once and the rest of the week is smooth sailing. Either way, I’m not always jazzed to do it like every fitness guru wants you to believe. I have one day of the week that I hate and that’s Thursday. I don’t know why I hate Thursday workouts so much, but if I want the weekends to not be spent downstairs working out, I have to do it. Sometimes I cry because I’m throwing a pouty bitch fit. Other days I dance and sing while I’m getting my sweat on. Every day is different and none of them are easy. It’s just as hard on your mind as it is on your body and I personally feel that’s normal.

2. You won’t see change right away.

There is a very popular fitness saying. “It takes 4 weeks for you to see your body changing. It takes 8 weeks for your friends and family. It takes 12 weeks for the rest of the world. Keep going”. Yeah, that’s cute. I didn’t notice anything happening for THREE months, maybe even a little more. I woke up moving like the tin man every day that whole time and saw nothing. The urge to quit was strong. This is when you start to second guess yourself. Am I doing the right exercises? Am I working out long enough? If I’m doing this wrong then what’s the point? Don’t let your mind go there. Just keep powering through. Change does not happen over night.

3. Get help.

Don’t be getting crazy here. All I mean is there is a formula you have to follow to keep track of what you’re doing for it to work. Doing Keto? Install an app on your phone that keeps track of what you’re eating in a day so that you don’t go over your allowed amount of fat. Working out lots? Invest in a Fitbit or use your phone to record your steps. Watching your calories? There are apps for that too. Hell, you can even track how much water you’re consuming if you think that’s something you have to work on. It takes all of the guess work out, keeps you on track, shows you where you’re going wrong and what you can be doing better, and for me, gives me the motivation to do even better the next day.

4. Change starts by what you’re putting in your mouth.

Ugh. It’s sad but true. I hate it as much as you do. Fact of the matter is, what you put in your gob is going to be detrimental to the changes you will see. When I started, I cut out all sugar (keep in mind I’m a gluten allergy gal, so pastas and bread really wreak havoc on my system). So that was even cutting out a lot of super sugary fruits because my mind set was if I was doing it, I was DOING it. No pasta. No bread. I read every salad dressing (which again, I was already used to because of the gluten horseshit). If I wanted alcohol it was vodka with water and a squeeze of lemon. It was hard and it was like living in a sad little bubble, but it worked. My stomach immediately felt better. I wasn’t bloated all the time. Add the working out in and I lost forty pounds in around eight months.

5. Do it for an end goal.

My goal was to fit into my pants again. No joke. It was either spend a billion dollars on new pants that I didn’t want, nor could afford, or get off my butt and undo the damage I had done over two years of sitting on the couch and eating anything I wanted. That was literally the only reason why I started. I hated getting dressed. I wouldn’t take pictures with my friends. I felt like I didn’t even look like myself anymore. I would get ready and be sad about all of my old clothes I couldn’t wear because I love them. I felt aimless. I couldn’t dress in my usual style so I would just throw on a t-shirt and call it a day. I was sick of feeling like that. So after I realized no one was doing this for me, I got serious and started to change things for myself.

6. You may never look like how you used to.

I will never be my former 100 pound self. I just won’t. I feel as though it’s not even physically possible. I’m ok with that. The point isn’t to look like how I used to. The point was to feel better about myself, plain and simple. I’m not entering any modelling competitions anytime soon, so I feel as though striving for unattainable perfection is just a waste of time and a huge mind fuck. Are you feeling better? Are you seeing positive changes? Are you reaching healthy goals? Then that’s all that matters. In a world of social media perfection it’s easy to look at others and think that’s how you want to look. Don’t get wrapped up in that. Even the people that work their asses off in the gym for four hours a day edit that picture before they slap it up. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else and what they’re doing. Keep doing what works for you and keep on course. Perfection is not something anyone can attain.

7. Give yourself a damn break.

Everyone needs a cheat day. That way you won’t quit and fuck up your long term results. The key with a cheat day is to get back on track the very next day. If you don’t, you’re literally undoing all of the hard work you’ve already put in. Also, make positive swaps so you don’t feel like you’re being cheated. For example, I stopped putting flavoured creamer in my coffee, so if I felt like a treat I would have a Coke Zero to kind of trick my brain like, “See! We can still have fun!”. It might not sound like a lot, but it works. Make a list of things you’ve been craving during the week and on your cheat day knock some of them off of there. It’s not going to ruin you. It will actually give you something to look forward to.

8. Do it on your own time.

You know those people that can wake up at 5 am and bang out a workout? Yeah, I’m not one of them. I want at least three cups of coffee when I wake up. Sometimes I write first. I have to let the dogs out and get Cash ready for school. If I attempt to work out first thing in the morning, it gives me high anxiety because I feel like I have so much other stuff to do. I also can’t work out at night because my adrenaline gets going and I won’t sleep. So the key for me was to find my sweet spot during the day where I don’t feel rushed. It doesn’t matter when you do it, it matters about finding a time that works for you. Then you’ll be more inclined to keep at it. If the morning works for you, great. If the night works for you, then perfect. Just find a time where you can clear your mind and not worry about fifteen things you’ll be doing the second your done.

9. Not everyone will get it.

If you’re about to make some healthy changes in your life, whether it’s for weight loss, to be stronger, or for your health, not everyone is going to have your back. It’s human nature. A lot of people will be angry because you’re getting results. Some people won’t understand why you’re going to the lengths you are. That’s ok. It’s not their journey. Fact of the matter is, we are all built different. So your friend who can eat doughnuts and lose weight will never understand why you’re tracking your calories. If it’s something that works for you though, keep doing it. My friends laughed at first when I would have to get up and do a certain amount of steps every hour. They soon adapted though. My neighbours would see me doing my steps up and down the back alley. Now they yell “Doing your steps?”. If doing it doesn’t bother you, then it shouldn’t be bothering anyone else. Some people will not tell you that you’re looking good, even if you have the worlds rarest flower growing out of the top of your head. That’s fine. You’re not doing this for them. They aren’t coming over and slapping that cookie out of your hand. They aren’t working out beside you every day. That compliment isn’t going to make the weight melt off. Only hard work will, so keep working hard and don’t worry about anyone else.

10. Don’t get carried away.

Everyone wants an easy fix, myself included. However, usually easy doesn’t mean great for you. Yes, you could take some flat tummy tea, (and I’m no fitness guru here), but I feel as though anything that makes you poop for four hours probably isn’t the healthiest choice. You aren’t going to drop three sizes in a week. You’re not going to fit into smaller jeans eating pizza everyday. No amount of diet pills or gimmicks are going to undo those kinds of choices. Healthy choices and exercise are going to be your only option. A healthy mindset and some hard work and good choices are going to be your new best friends. I’m not saying you can’t try those easy fixes, go ahead. I’m just saying I don’t want one of your kidneys to fall out.

11. You might slide back.

Life is short. Unless someone is paying me to do this, I find it hard to not take a couple weeks off sometimes. Ive definitely gained a couple of pounds back over the summer because I said fuck yes to every hot dog and hamburger bun thrown my way. I drank beer without making sure it was the low calorie kind. I went out for supper with my family and didn’t look at my calorie tracker once. Caesars at ten am? Yes please! It’s the summer. We have such a short amount of time to enjoy actual warm weather that I didn’t give one single fuck. I have the whole winter of being cooped up in my house to work out and eat right. My goal wasn’t to be a size zero. My goal was to fit into the things I love again. I did that. So maintaining is now my goal. Don’t get wrapped up in pushing, pushing, pushing. Sometimes you will take a little break to enjoy what’s around you. It’s a balance. Everyone’s will be different and I’m just trying to figure out what works for me. All I’m saying is, if that happens it’s not the end of the world. You’ll have time to pick back up and keep going. If you’ve planned a vacation there is no shame in having drinks and going out for supper. Enjoy your life. You will figure out what works for you. We aren’t robots and we aren’t perfect. Nor do we need to be.

xo S