Transformation Tuesday: June 2016

I hate this post already. It makes me uncomfortable putting so much of myself out there, but I'm doing it anyway.

These are my very own transformation pictures - on the left was me in September 2015, and the right was taken today.

To explain a little, let's start at the beginning.

September 2015, I had been a fitness instructor for about 3 months. I was doing Barre somewhere between 2 and 4 times per week, amongst other things.

I wasn't exactly eating horribly, but it definitely wasn't healthy either.

Flash forward to January 2016, and I decided to take a tough HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) class at my gym as often as my schedule would allow. While I could tell my fitness level was elevating week to week, I wasn't seeing the changes in my body that I wanted.

If I'm going to be real honest, I'll say that I was eating pizza and fast food 3-4 times per week, naively thinking that my time in the gym was cancelling out my less-than-stellar diet. Wrong. The scale wasn't moving. My body fat was staying put. And even though I worked out all the time, you probably couldn't tell by looking at me.

March 2016, I finally came to my senses. I realized that I had been "treating" myself with food, as a learned behavior, way too often. Resulting in all my hard work at the gym being negated. I did away with that behavior, and decided to treat myself with a challenge - a bikini.

I have not bought, much less been IN, a bikini in at least 6 years. Between not being in shape, and having 2 kids it just didn't happen.

I bought myself a cute little number from Victoria's Secret, and immediately I felt anxious. A bikini? You mean basically-as-legally-naked-as -you-can -get-in-public? Bring on big, baggy sweats I already feel overexposed just thinking about it. HERE GOES NOTHING.

I knew I had to make a change, and I decided to dig in on changing my habits. My Mother-in-Law had been trying to get me on the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) bandwagon for months, and I was skeptical. How could  I be sure it would work for me? Was the food any good? Was it something we could do as a family?

Truth is, I didn't know the answers to any of those questions until after I gave it an honest try. When I really started doing every day the THM way, I saw major differences. I had more energy. My body was changing. My weight was going down (FINALLY). I could see and feel muscles - a first for me.

Now, here I am, a little more than 2 months into my lifestyle change, and I can honestly say that I will be a THMer for life. Not just because of the changes in my body and weight, but because of the freedom. Nothing is rigid, and it's totally sustainable.

If you're feeling frustrated with where you are in your fitness journey, I strongly encourage you to consider this:

1. Be honest with yourself about what you're putting into your body. Are you fueling it? Overly "treating" it?
2. Move it and shake it in a new way. A lot of people think the way to lose weight is through cardio. Yes and no. Cardio is important to fitness and heart health, however building muscle through strength training is what will help you burn more resting calories. Try a new class at your gym! Lift heavier weights. Try a new activity at least once a week to break up your routine.
3. Love yourself at every stage. I can't stress body love enough. Love your body for what it can do. Love your body at the beginning and middle of your journey, not just when you've achieved your goals. Speak positively about your body. Believe in your body's ability.
4. Don't make excuses.

If I can do this, you can too. Fitness and health are learned behaviors, not God-given abilities.