I used to hate the gym. I thought the gym meant doing endless amounts of cardio to burn away unwanted fat. I would step on the treadmill and hate every single second of my cardio session. I never understood how anyone could possibly enjoy sweating and putting their body through hell, but now I cannot imagine my life without the gym.
After becoming unhappy with how I looked in the mirror, I realized it was time to make a change. A little over a year ago I made one of the best decisions of my life, I got a personal trainer. Through her coaching, I immediately said goodbye to endless hours of cardio and hello to lifting weights.
I'm not sure how I used to spend even more than 30 minutes on the treadmill; it gets so boring so quickly. Staring at a wall or even at a TV screen in front of me for hours was just not something I could stick to. I have learned that the best workout routine is the one that you truly enjoy; if you despise what you're doing, you are far more likely to give up.
Once I discovered the endless possibilities with lifting weights, I became addicted. I never experience boring lifting sessions because I can always switch it up. I can train high reps with lighter weight or low reps with heavier weight. I also love the fact that I can use an endless variety of techniques to work out all the major parts of my body, like back, arms, legs, glutes, and chest.
Since falling in love with lifting, I can easily spend two to three hours at the gym... I guess some might even call me a "gym rat." I'm still shocked that I used to feel so intimidated in the weight area. I would walk over to the weight section of the gym and feel uncomfortable, confused, and scared, then walk back to what I knew, which was the treadmill.
I'm so glad that I was introduced to lifting; now I walk into the weight section with my head held high, a confident smile on my face, and the mindset of knowing that I'm about to crush a lifting session.
Giphy
Stop Judging People If Their Resolution Is To Lose Weight
Last time I checked it's not 'your gym,' sweetie.
Studies show that the top 3 resolutions for the new year are to eat healthier, exercise more and lose weight.
These are amazing resolutions, but these are also resolutions that are harshly judged in the public eye.
As a curvy woman, I used to feel beyond insecure about going to the gym or ordering a salad from a restaurant. In my head, all I thought about was people saying "she's doing that wrong" or "I know she didn't get that way by eating salads" or some other negative comment that I saw being commented somewhere else. As result, I'd stop going to the gym and begin eating poorly.
I know what you might be thinking. These are things all in my head or I shouldn't let some random person make me feel less. Yet some people aren't as strong as others when it comes to these harsh comments. There is a high expectation for what our bodies should look like and when people tell us we don't fit in that category, we start to not like ourselves.
Luckily over the years, I have gained so much more confidence because of who I surround myself with. But I know that is not the case for everyone.
Granted there are people who positively encourage this change, but it's those negative comments that hurt a person more. There can be 100 comments saying how someone is looking great and looked at as an inspiration, but as I said, it only takes one comment/person to make someone feel highly discouraged from reaching their goal.
Losing weight is seen as the 'basic resolution' but it's not a basic action. It is life changing experience and no one should make that goal seem unreachable.
Already I have seen so many Snapchat /Instagram mentions about how annoying it is when a gym is full of 'those new years resolution people" at the beginning of the month. The biggest thing I ask when someone I know says this is "since when do you get to decide how another person should live their life" and sometimes I'm petty and will say "last time I checked it's not your gym sweetie", I'm sorry but it's not. Gyms build a person mentally and physically, don't take that away from someone because you think you can dictate on who comes in the gym.
It doesn't matter if it's a stranger or even your friend who has this solution, take it seriously and encourage them to follow through with their goal rather than discourage.
Rather than judging someone for wanting to make a positive change in their lives, we need to encourage them and let that person do them.
So before you comment on someone's looks, body, lifestyle, think to yourself "how is this going to make that person feel?" or "what kind of person does that make me if I decide to tear that person down?"
I wish all those people whose resolution is to eat healthier, exercise more and lose weight the best of luck because I'm about to go through that life-changing experience myself. No matter what your goal is, it can be reached one way or another.