I like to share about the things I'm learning on this blog. I love the idea that I am constantly learning, especially about Jesus. But today we are going to take a little break from my usual type of blog post. I really just want to share some things I am learning from a huge lifestyle change for me that is currently underway.
I am at the beginning of a fitness journey and have had many struggles with it. My body itself is working against my will power as I fight hormonal issues. The struggle, however, is one of the best opportunities any of us have to learn. So, these are some of the things I have learned from this paricular struggle. Note, these are things that are true for me and this is not medical or specific advice because everyone is different and I'm far from an expert.
1. Never ever comment on another person's body or their fitness.
Before, and I mean literally just days before, I started getting really serious about getting fit, I would talk about other people who were fit. "Oh, that person is so obsessed with working out. It seems so self absorbed," and the like. As I have seemingly become one of those people, though, I've experienced the hard work that goes into a good workout or sticking to healthy eating. I know now the difference between obsession and commitment. And the difference between narcissism and just wanting to share that you have accomplished something. So, it doesn't matter if you see a woman with "manly" muscles or a dude with a beer gut, just keep your mouth shut. At this point, or maybe at any point, there's no way a person could tell how fit I am or how much I work at it just by looking at me. The truth is, you just never know. By all means, be an encouragement to anyone who has opened up a dialogue about their health. Many cliches, come to mind: don't judge a book by its cover, walk a mile in someone else's shoes, etc. Just be kind, I believe is the point.
2. My scale is my enemy.
While I feel so much better and I look a little better, my scale hasn't budged very much. It is a monster that lives on my bathroom floor and, although I stand on it quite frequently, it is not yet under my feet. When is spits a number out at me, I often let it ruin my day. I have had to pray for a change in thinking because it is so engrained in our culture to measure success in health with a scale. I'm not going to say that I've stopped weighing myself. I can't seem to give it up. I just have to know that stupid number, but I am slowly learning to give it less credit. I am listening to my body. I know what makes me feel healthy and good. Turns out, my weight has little to do with that. While I can't yet vanquish the little monster from my bathroom (maybe I just know how to keep my enemies close), I am finding less validation from the number on its face.
3. Exercise isn't a cure-all.
I have struggled with depression and anxiety for all of my adult life. There are so many tricks that people have told me to combat it and exercise is always, always, always one of them. I'm here to tell anyone who struggles with the same things that it's true. Working out and expending all that pent up energy helps a whole lot. But it doesn't fix it. (I would argue that the cure I'm looking for is in Jesus when He calls me home.) Don't start exercising with the mindset that every day from here on out is going to be daisies and unicorns. I still have bad days, bad weeks even. Working out is a release and a relief from the depression and anxiety. I get tons of endorphins flowing lots of days and can see full glasses and silver linings. And then some days I can't get off the couch. The key has been to stay commited after the bad days pass and to be realistic with myself.
4. The comparison game only hurts.
Every single person is different. When I see people with amazing results, that little voice in the back of my head starts in. "Well, you'll never look like that." "Oh, they must have a better metabolism." "At least you're doing better than this other person." When I start to compare myself to anyone else, I feel my motivation die a little bit each time. I would encourage anyone just starting a fitness journey to compete only with themselves. And even when competing with myself, I have to learn a lot about grace. My improvements are slow and steady and I backside a lot, so it's important for me to keep my eyes ahead, to the long term.
5. Changing the way I eat has been the hardest part, by far.
There are just so many factors to consider when deciding what to eat. My diet (I use the word "diet" to describe what I eat and the guidelines I use, not a temporary fad to quickly reach a goal) seems to have changed a thousand times since I started. I've finally settled on eating cleaner and balance. I can't measure every ounce of each meal or count every calorie. Or maybe I just refuse to. While I know a stricter diet would get me to my goals quicker, I have to do what is reasonable and and accessable to me. Honestly, I still very much feel like I haven't figured out what I should and shouldn't be eating. That's probably because there isn't a magical diet that will transform my body overnight. My focus now is on being consistent, which is definitely the hardest part of the hardest part.
6. It is really hard for me to talk about the specifics of my diet and exercise with people.
I have made my fitness journey very public on social media. It helps me to stay accountable and it helps me just to track my progress for myself. It has also opened up a conversation with many people that I'm not necessarily close with. Many people have reached out to me to tell me I've inspired them or to encourage me. It really is one of the best feelings in the world to have people cheering for me. There have also been many people who have asked for the specifics about how I work out or what I eat. I both love and hate this. I am a fitness novice. I learn new things all the time and I am very sure that what I have been doing has helped me tremendously. But I still have so much doubt when I try to tell others about it. I can't help but think that anyone I'm talking to is secretly picking apart my workouts or thinking that I will never make progress if I keep eating this cetain type of food. I have this fear because I catch myself doing it to others (see #1 on this post). We are humans and so many times our knee-jerk reactions can be to think that we know what is best for someone without even knowing their whole story. So, I tend to keep quiet about what I eat or what my favorite workout is. It is just so hard to push past that innate feeling that we aren't good enough. I don't even have a lesson or a moral for this one, it's just something I often deal with.
Overall, being realistic with myself and consistent in my work has been the take away from my fitness experience so far. And even those very basic goals have taken many, many baby steps. The set-backs and slip-ups are innumerable, but like I've said before, praise Jesus it's not my job to be perfect.