It's hard to believe just three months ago I was running and spinning my little heart out, weighing in nearly 10 lbs and 10% more body fat. I was a skinny fat, cardio bunny thinking I had fitness by the balls.
Pardon the terrible picture quality (and that is a door knob, not my chest in the far right photo!), but here is a bit of rear progress. Far left is at week 4, middle shot is week 8 and far right is today - at week 12. I guess I do need to do a better job of taking clearer photos. Mental note for next week :)
I've done quite a bit of reflecting over the past 3 months - and it's pretty amazing what this transformation has taught me. In the spirit of Month 3, here are 3 lessons I've learned thus far:
- Eliminate the word "diet" from your vocabulary. Being fit and healthy is a lifestyle. I'm not aiming to be skinny, nor do I aim to stick to a "diet." I'm simply eating clean and busting my butt to be strong. These habits will far outlive any competition.
- Patience is a virtue. And I don't have it. G-d bless my coaches. When I send them my progress pictures every Tuesday, I always follow the pictures up with "I'm not leaning out! What's happening?! It's not working." And they just reassure me - patience. Stay dedicated, keep lifting heavy and eating clean and it WILL come together. They haven't been wrong yet.
- I am strong as f*ck. Mentally and physically. Friday night I went out with friends and cheered them on as they did tequila shots, ate Mexican food and sipped cocktails. I snacked on my plain chicken, brown rice and veggies in my Tupperware container. No shame in my game. I got water wasted - and actually never felt sad for myself or the desire to cheat. My willpower is ON POINT - and this prep is teaching me I am a tough cookie (WTF. clearly this girl has cookies on the brain!) and I can handle whatever life throws my way. So often, people ask about prep and how hard are my workouts. I literally always respond that the workouts are the enjoyable part. I love spending hours in the gym - it's the best stress reliever.
And while we're talking about lessons learned... I've spent a good amount of time in the past few weeks really listening to my inner voice. Not necessarily thinking about what should make me happy - but what actually does. We're all different. I get that. What blows my hair back might not for the next girl, and that's okay. Our uniqueness's are what makes the world go round. So here's what I've been doing as of late, to ensure I keep a tight grasp on my own happiness:
- Eliminate negativity. I made the tough choice to leave my barre studio position due to compounding negativity I was experiencing. I will greatly miss my wonderful clients and empowering folks to get moving and set goals while removing any limitations they've set on themselves, and feel confident this will not be the end of my pursuit of physical fitness (outside of my own training) but for now, I am quite happy I chose to distance myself from a negative, unnecessarily dramatic situation.
- Find a career where I love my boss and daily responsibilities. I can't believe I'm coming up on three years with my company - it's been quite a ride. Two acquisitions in two years has had me stressed beyond words at times - which is probably why I haven't blogged much about my professional life, but I must say I am so grateful for my career and where it has led me. My boss is amazing - and it's the first time I can safely say I respect my boss - personally AND professionally. While I thank g-d every day, I'd be reticent not to recognize the hard work and dedication it has taken for me to get to this place. I've had the terrible bosses (a previous employer in NYC once said in a boardroom full of clients - "Don't worry, this c*nt will get the coffee." I literally looked around trying to figure out WHO she was talking about. Once I realized it was me, I walked straight into my office, cleared out my desk and walked out). I've had the jobs I loved where the pay made it nearly impossible to cover my monthly expenses. For those experiences and more, I am so grateful for the place I am in today.
- Keep my social circle small. I've found quality over quantity is the approach to relationships that works best for me. If that means staying home on a Saturday night because most of my friends are married and off with their husbands/boyfriends/fiances, so be it. My day will come :)
- Cultivate healthy habits. I've talked about my new gratitude habit - and boy has it changed my perspective. Each night before bed, I look forward to grabbing my journal and jotting down my thoughts. So much of what we believe is HOW we perceive. If you don't practice gratitude daily, try it. You'll see how quickly your positive thoughts transform you.
- Do something for others. Lately I've been talking with a few girlfriends about their current nutrition and workout regimes. It brings me SUCH joy to help them however I can - everything from explaining proper plank form (sink those tushies!!) to looking at what they're eating vs what they should be eating to shed unwanted body fat and regain self-confidence. Helping others makes my heart shine. Next time you're needing a boost of happy, reach out to someone you love and see what you can do for them.
And in the spirit of happiness, a few images that cracked me up this morning:
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| "You're going to fucking jail Greg" HA! |
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| I could just see this happening with my girlfriends. I'd be terrified! |
XO,
Jenn
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