Now, let me make this clear - my intention was never to be "skinny" or thin. No. I simply wanted to look in the mirror and be comfortable walking out of the house; I craved self esteem and I wanted to feel better.
Since I relied on health blogs, fitness pages and fit-life related social media accounts quite a bit to get my butt in gear, I thought I'd add mine to the ever growing menagerie of success stories out there; I mean, what have I got to lose?
So folks, here's my BIG SECRET, which really isn't a secret at all - hard work, dedication, motivation, patience and self control. YOU are the only one that can put in the work required to see progress. If you do it "right" eventually, it won't feel quite so much like work, but more so a reward. I shared the story below in a private Facebook group recently; it was scary to do, as there are very few people I've exposed that many of my skeletons to. I'll tell you though, I'm glad I did it; if for no other reason than that a few ladies in the group thanked me for sharing because it motivated them to keep going.
My journey started when I could no longer look in the mirror without feeling completely disgusted with myself. I didn't feel like my appearance reflected my potential, and I was quickly falling down a rabbit hole that I wasn't sure I'd be able to get myself out of. So I said, "enough is enough" and I set out to make some serious life changes.
I've struggled with body image since high school. I was always taller and more "dense," as my friend Sam puts it, than most of the other girls; I wasn't overweight (at the time), I was the only female member of the cross country team for our debut year, and we trained year round, so I was actually quite fit.
After college, I started to really lose myself. I was swallowed up in a really rocky relationship that consumed my life, and I drank away my sorrows. Although delicious, craft beers and whiskey were NOT nice to my mid-section.
Last year I completed my very first OCR, the Amebury Spartan Sprint, and it kicked my ass. Luckily I had a great partner who kept me going and dragged me through it - couldn't have done it without you, Mike! But, a spark was ignited. It took me another few months to really establish a good exercise and cleaner eating routine. I took measurements, started tracking my food intake and began holding myself accountable.
It's been a 10 year battle, but I'm finally comfortable being ME. I'm comfortable in my own skin - that's something I've never been able to say before. And let me tell you, it feels GREAT! I have a number of people to thank, most importantly my fiance, Eric, for his constant support, reminders that he thinks I'm strong, beautiful, that he's proud of me, and never ending love; a close second goes to my social media fit-fam that has provided support, motivation and tips to achieve my goals.
Now that I've put myself out there as someone who has "won the battle," people have come to me with questions and seeking tips or tricks. Here are some of the biggest things that I cannot stress enough to anyone that has sought my advice in regards to "how do I do it?!"
Get up and MOVE - It takes two weeks to establish a routine. I am stubborn and lazy and I like to procrastinate. It took me the better part of four months to really establish an exercise routine that I could keep up with. Find a program - whether that be a class at a gym, an at home work out video, or an app that gives you daily work outs. Find one that will fit into your lifestyle without the need to rearrange a bunch of prior engagements; find one that you enjoy doing. Research multiple options, and if need be, "test drive" a few. Do different workouts during the week; variety is the fruit of life, after all.
For me, T25 was the ticket. I work 10 hour days, an hour (ish) away from my home - so that means at minimum, I am gone from my house 12 hours per day for work alone. I don't have a lot of extra time to spend at the gym, or going to classes with my gal pals. 25 minutes per day Shaun T kicks my behind and makes me sweat from places I didn't know had sweat glands. Follow the program - they're designed by people who know what they're doing - and STICK WITH IT. Your body will hurt, but at the end of your workout, you're going to feel amazing. Post workout, climbing the stairs may pose a new challenge, but in doing so, simply recite this phrase in your head to help you keep going, "sore today, strong tomorrow...sore today, strong tomorrow."
Read your food labels - What you put into your body is just as (if not more) important as exercising. Train yourself to look at the labels of the food you're consuming. I highly recommend getting a food-tracking app that will help you keep an eye on what's going in to your body. Set goals using that app; most will ask for a few basic stats - height, current weight, goal weight, activity level, etc. I use MyFitnessPal and LOVE it. The barcode feature, which allows you to scan the barcode that comes on the packaging of your food, is a huge help and time saver! Do your best to stay within the daily parameters set by the app. It certainly isn't always easy, but you'll quickly see the components of different foods and how they have likely been affecting your body all along.
The key to the food piece is moderation. There is zero shame in a cheat snack or meal once in a while, especially if you've had a kick-ass workout during that day - just don't glorify that into a reward system, "oh, I ran three miles today, I can eat a bag of chips." NO.
I challenge anyone setting foot on a new fit journey to (even if just for one day) measure out the serving sizes of the food you're consuming; and only eat ONE serving! Many of us have trained our bodies to constantly consume. You'll be amazed at how little it actually takes to fill you up when you're doing it with proper nutrition. ...you'll probably also be shocked at how much you were overeating, completely unaware.
Switch to whole grains and toss anything with "enriched" or "processed" on the label. Yes folks, that means 100% whole wheat bread, brown nice and skim milk. Those seemingly minor changes can have an enormous impact as far as nutrition goes.
Contrary to popular belief, carbs are actually GOOD for you - the key is where you're getting those carbs from, and of course there are limits that you should be mindful of. Carbs are your fuel source! Protein will help in the fuel department some, yes; but carbs are where it's at. Fresh veggies are a GREAT source of natural, healthy carbs, and will satisfy the "crunch craving" I know I fall victim to.
Another food myth that I personally had a hard time with was learning that consuming fat isn't a bad thing. Just like with carbs, there are good fats and there are bad fats. Good fat is unsaturated - from sources like nuts and avocados; whereas bad fat is saturated (or even trans fat which is basically the devil) and comes from sources such as oils and cheese. Moderation, moderation, moderation, my friends!
Hydrate - DRINK WATER. Constantly. All day long. The recommended daily water intake is at least half of your body weight in ounces; so for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be consuming at least 75 ounces of water daily.
I cannot stress the importance of being hydrated enough. Add some fresh lemon to that water and you've not only made it taste better, but lemons are also a great natural detoxifying agent!
There are TONS and TONS of recipes for all kinds of flavored waters out there - if not already, Pinterest will be your new bff. I personally can't stand mint or cucumbers in my water, but some people SWEAR by it...so if you're adventurous, perhaps those are the recipes for you.
Seek alternatives - Walk instead of driving; take the stairs instead of the elevator; park further away from your destination instead of the open spot right up front; use chipotle hot sauce instead of salad dressings that are packed full of saturated fats and added sugars; use avocado as a spread on your sandwich or wrap instead of mayo; if you chose to have a frosty beverage once in a while: switch to light beer instead of the "heavy" version, or add club soda/seltzer to your liquor instead of regular soda.
Small changes will make a really big difference. It's a three mile round trip from my house to the grocery store. If I can fit whatever I need in my backpack, I make the trip on foot (assuming I have the time to expend). Walking is SO good for your body, it's eco-friendly, AND you burn a bunch of calories in a killer cardio-sesh...seems like a no-brainer to me :)
Find a source of daily motivation - Start following a fitness blog, follow fit/health accounts on Instagram, or join a challenge group on Facebook. Surrounding yourself with people who are currently fighting the same battle you're fighting. Seeing the progress others have made, and knowing you're not the only one struggling is wildly motivating. And, if you're anything like me - you'll use the stories and pictures of others to push you even further than you ever knew you were capable of.
Find a safe space where you can share your post-workout, nasty, sweaty selfies. Those spaces do exist, and it feels good to get the notifications that someone has "liked" your face drenched in sweat. It's motivating. It will push you to get your ass out of bed the next morning to do it again. Anyone who tells you to not post those pictures isn't a positive influence in your life, and you do NOT need that when you're trying to accomplish your goals.
If you need a place to start - follow me on Instagram (@iamladyc). I will follow you back, and "like" your make-up smeared, sweat drenched hair stuck to your forehead, post-workout selfies. And I will tell you how proud of you I am for trying and putting yourself out there. Everyone needs cheerleaders and motivators. You just have to start somewhere.
Accountability - At the start of your journey, take pictures of yourself in a mirror (or if you have someone you feel comfortable exposing yourself to, ask them to do it for you) from different angles. It will be hard, and you might feel like crying. But please, please trust me - you will appreciate having those pictures later on when you take NEW pictures, put them side by side and can explode with happiness stating, "LOOK AT ME NOW!" It's incredibly empowering - even if you only keep them to yourself.
It will take time to SEE the changes your body is going through, so I also recommend taking measurements of your body. Your weight on the scale may not move much at first but your body composition will be changing - muscle does weigh more than fat, and that is incredibly important to remember. Taking the measurements will help you keep track of the progress you're making even if you can't SEE anything yet; update these measurements weekly, biweekly or monthly - maybe all three! You will see small changes faster, and let me tell you, it will fuel your fire like you wouldn't believe.
Small victories SHOULD be celebrated - I found myself really struggling with the numbers on the scale - another reason to take measurements. I'd get down on myself and think, "I worked SO hard these past few weeks; stuck to my food plan, DIDN'T binge on ice cream and chips when I was PMSing; followed my workout schedule...but I've only lost five pounds. WHY?!"
Do you know what "just five pounds" of fat looks like? Here, let me show you.
The first five or ten pounds are going to be hard; you're establishing a routine, changing your lifestyle, and setting new boundaries for yourself. Once you get into a rhythm, it will get easier, and maybe even become enjoyable if you're sick and twisted like me.
Be patient - Last, but certainly not least - give this process TIME to work. You didn't put on the excess weight you're trying to get rid of overnight, you're not going to lose it overnight either.
They (whoever these illustrious wise-people are that we all too often refer to) say it takes something along the lines of four weeks to notice changes in our own bodies, eight weeks for our close friends and family to notice the changes, and twelve weeks for those we see less often to take notice.
Do NOT give up. You will feel defeated at times, but keep at it. When you're feeling down, high tail it to your motivational sources - people will pick you up off the floor. I promise.
Chelsea xoxo
