I’m waiting in line at the grocery store with my friend as I flip through a magazine. I stop at one page that reads “Lose ten pounds in ten days.” I’ve been more into my health and fitness than ever before and it’s recently occurred to me that the media has played a significant role. I find myself reading more and more magazines about fad diets that celebrities try or “their secrets to weight loss.” I log onto to Instagram to see some more celebrities endorsing products such as “Fit Tea.” I scroll through my Facebook and see people selling products for “It Works.” They feature normal everyday people who have seen dramatic weight loss using body wraps, waist trainers, cleanse and detox drinks. I’m not saying that you can’t shed a couple of pounds with using these products but you certainly can’t lose a dramatic amount of weight and consider yourself “healthy.”

My journey to weight loss has been anything but glamorous. I’m not on weight loss pills or fad dieting or strapping myself into a waist trainer. It’s amazing to me when people ask what I’ve been taking to lose the extra weight. It’s a simple concept. I made working out and eating healthy a major priority in 2016. There is nothing pretty or fun about my workouts. I go to the gym and sweat. I sweat for an entire hour. I sweat to the point where my shirt is completely soaked. I could wring sweat out of my shirt when I’m done. I rarely ever will I post a gym “selfie” because my hair is soaking wet and my face is completely red and it looks as if someone has sucked the life out of me.

My journey to a healthier lifestyle and becoming fit hasn’t been easy. It’s going to the gym and killing yourself and not seeing result for a while. It’s waking up at the crack of dawn to get a workout in. It’s going to the gym late at night when you're completely exhausted after going to classes and working. It’s pushing yourself to go to the gym when there isn’t an ounce of energy left in you. It’s going home and craving pizza but preparing a salad instead. It’s going out to the bar with your friends and only have a vodka soda because you know it’s low in calories. It’s watching your friends eat whatever they want because you know they won't gain a pound. It’s getting frustrated with yourself because you know you don’t have that high of metabolism.

With that being said, it has had some rewarding moments, even if they are small. It’s cutting a minute off of your mile. It’s being able to lift more weight than the usual. It’s the feeling of your jeans become a little looser. It’s being proud of what you overcome. It’s being comfortable in your own skin.