The week of our wedding I was an emotional wreck. Two of the many times I cried that week were after my Fitwall classes. I took a class with Bradee on Monday, unsure if it would be my last before the wedding, but wanted to get a good sweat in. Monday is all about strength, lifting heavy and slow. The first class I took with Bradee I was so embarrassed, the 10 lb weights were hard and I generally felt terrible the entire time. Fast forward just shy of a year and I felt so incredibly proud of all that my body could do. I cried on my way home.
I decided I needed one more class on Thursday right before the wedding and that’s when it ALL hit me; I started this journey (ugh why did The Bachelor have to ruin such a good word) with one goal: look good in a wedding dress, and it’s morphed into something I never expected. Working out is now my third favorite part of my day (1. coming home to Winston and Jacob and 2. going to sleep because duh).
I’ve shared a few of these tips before, but here are the 3 biggest lessons I’ve learned this year:
- Sometimes you will fail. Whether it’s your food, workout, sleep (make sure you’re sleeping so your body can recover!), not every day is going to be perfect. That is OK. I struggle the most with my food. In yoga you’re taught to acknowledge thoughts as they come up, then let them go. I treat cravings the same way; I keep cookies in the freezer and if my sweet tooth strikes, I’ll microwave one or half (bonus – tastes like it’s fresh out of the oven) and then move on.
- Listen to your body. Yes, you need to push yourself to see progress but if something hurts, STOP. I avoided addressing my knee for too long, that put me out for a little, and then it felt harder to come back. UPDATE: Knee is doing fairly well. I feel comfortable squatting now and feel like I need to modify moves less and less.
- Be proud of yourself! You did one more push-up than normal, you lifted 5 pounds heavier, you ran for a minute longer — that’s AMAZING! Not every accomplishment has to be earth shattering, but you should celebrate like it is.
After a year, I’m now squatting with the amount of weight I’ve lost, which is crazy. Right now I’m currently trying to eat more to add muscle (I’m calling it my Fall Bitch Bulk) and while I’m thrilled to have more to eat, I’ve had to shut down a lot of pesky demons in my head about the whole process. I am however excited to have some new goals to work toward and of course will keep you updated on the progress.
FITNESS JOURNEY PART I
WHAT I EAT IN A DAY
THE EMOTIONAL COMPONENT OF FITNESS
