I’ve always been an athlete. Always. I started running track in fourth grade; pretty sure someone pulled strings for me to start that young, probably because I begged to be on the team. I dabbled with volleyball and basketball for my early years but stuck with track to run competitively in college. I even met my husband through our university team.

 

Training was second nature to me. I was active even in offseasons in preparation for the start of March, the days where rain and cold temps just felt like “track season”; any track athlete would know. High school practices were all sorts of brutal, but I felt the best on days when my quads were shot and my abs were shredded from lemur walks. That pain made me happy, I was getting stronger.

But then I embarked on the ultimate offseason: college graduation. Workouts became less frequent, but not entirely missing from my routine. This phase of life included an engagement and the drive to fit into my dream wedding dress, and I did.

 

A phase of life fades into yet another and I found myself a homemaker with cookbooks of tasty (read fatty) recipes and nightly trips to 7-11 for candy and Gatorade. I was a true adventurer in the food space and tried out things I never would have attempted years before. I became the #1 fan of whipping cream and pasta, of homemade cookies and real butter.

 

During those first years I got on a program and fell off a couple weeks later, blaming holidays. It wasn’t until I hit my personal highest weight that I realized I had let myself get here. I knew what to do and what not to eat, but those recipes were so enticing and I was a newlywed after all.

 

Not until I was reminded of my cholesterol family history and felt the snugness of a fraction-too-tight clothing did I make the conscious decision to do something about it.

 

You might be thinking “It was only 15 lbs.” It’s true, in some eyes it might not be a lot, but to me, it was the realization that I was living a different life than I had since the beginning. It’s like I lost the athlete, the person who worked hard and got results. I was living a delicious but unhealthy life. While my stomach was happy with the freedom to consume whatever if felt like, my mind knew that I couldn’t keep it up.

So I got on a plan and stuck to it. There wasn’t a chance you’d convince me to not track my food or plan out my meals. I would count out the number of chips I wanted on a plate and put the bag back without going back for seconds. I counted Goldfish. Goldfish. I was working hard, it was familiar.

 

I got the extra weight off that I had gained during our first couple years of marriage. It took only a few months: months of preparation, of thoughtfulness, and determination. It was worth it a hundred times over.

 

But during that time I learned a lot about myself.

 

You can achieve anything if you: get both feet wet, are all in, 100% committed, and consciously involved.

Like I mentioned, there was no way I was getting off that program. And if you’re as intense about something, you won’t either. You must get to a point in your life where you decide that the goal you are working towards isn’t just worth it, but necessary. When you realize the severity of what you are trying to do, you don’t just lolly gag about, you put every ounce of your energy towards it.

 

That’s what you have to do, because if you’re easily swayed off your plan or distracted by the easy road, then you’ll never reach your goals. It’s a lukewarm situation, you can’t be that blasé, you must be zesty.

 

Be okay knowing it’s hard right now.

I knew that sticking to a diet and reducing my Pizza Hut consumption was going to be difficult. But I also knew that I had to embrace the tough nature of the process and work it. Realizing the hardship of reaching your goal at the beginning will keep you going when it gets really tough. Tougher than you thought.

 

 

Make a goal.

What are you working towards, and why does it matter? Have you actually thought about what you want and are willing to work for? Have your “why”, the reason you do anything, because without it, what’s the point?

 

Are you wanting to get out of debt, start a business, pass a class, run a marathon, save for a home, read a book a month, journal? It doesn’t matter what you goal is, as long as it’s yours and not someone else’s.

 

I had a couple reasons I wanted to lose the extra pounds, one of them being family history of high cholesterol. Knowing I’ve done everything I can to combat something that might be hereditary gave me a sense of comfort.

What’s your reason?

 

Be support.

I couldn’t have reached any of the goals I set in 2017 if I hadn’t had the support of my family. They cheered me on when I was winning and helped me gain perspective when I wanted to quit. You need someone in your corner.

 

Receiving support is a blessing, but offering support is even more important. Going through something that causes you great might and strain helps you better understand others who are, were, or may go through something similar. Reaching your goals stretches you as a person, in so many areas of life. Empathy included.

 

This post isn’t about weight-loss. Life’s not really about the number on the scale, guys. Please hear me when I say everyone has a unique body, and whether or not you are on a weight-loss program, a weight-gain program, or simply maintaining that’s okay. This weight-loss awakening for me was personal.

 

Me wanting to lose weight was more about getting back to my routine, my old mindset. Essentially getting back on track after the whirlwind of planning for a wedding, moving, and adjusting to married life. I had to figure out a way to get back to my normal. I needed to get back in control.

 

This post is about taking charge of your life and working towards a goal you maybe thought you’d never reach. It’s a dose of motivation to help you gain the confidence to actually start. If there is something you want badly enough, then do it, because you don’t want to regret the day you never started.

 

So what is it? What is going to get your heart pumping, your dreams running, your mind racing? What will you do anything for and why does it matter to you at all? You can do it, you just have to try. Good luck!

 

Cheers!