For those of you who follow me on Instagram (www.instagram.com/missads1981) you likely saw my post this morning which was more of a rant but also just a bit of how I have been feeling lately. It seems that every week or two I feel differently about my body; one week I feel like a bloated mess where I can’t understand why if I am eating so well, working out so hard do I still feel not good in my own skin and in my clothes. Then the next week I wake up seeing abs and definition and feel really inspired. One day my workout pants make me want to cry because they seem to be hugging in all the wrong places, making me really self-conscious and also making me question “Do I really want my legs to be getting this big?” and then the next day I’m in there squatting like crazy telling myself “the heavier the better, I want my butt to grow.” It’s like I just can’t win, can’t feel content or stick to any desired goal because every time I look in the mirror my body is changing and sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. It’s a constant struggle that us ladies just always are dealing with. From our hormones to “that time of the month” to water retention to expanding quads – every single workout is a challenge but I push through and remind myself I am not here to compete, I am not looking to be perfect, I don’t want to be so beyond obsessed that I forget who I am or push myself to a very dark place of being TOO restrictive.

 

The tricky part about fitness is everyone assumes that abs are the defining factor of your “goals”. One day I have abs the next day I’m a bloated mess. They are like the Bermuda Triangle – here today gone tomorrow. The truth is it takes a ton of smart nutrition and diet as well as lifting & hiit cardio to drop your overall body fat % to even see abs. When girls ask “I just want abs and to lose in my stomach” it won’t happen without changing your overall body fat sadly. And a good amount too is genetics. Some people have genetics that give them a more square shape or lower hip bones to look like they have smaller waists etc. work with what you have. I don’t mind my little love handles. I know they will likely never go away and I’m not looking to drop my body fat low enough to diminish them. I don’t compete and likely never will so workout for your own health and person goals. Also a lot has to do with awesome lighting . It’s hard to not compare yourself to others esp when you follow a lot of other fit females but i remind myself that a fitness career is different from a fitness lifestyle. Eat well. Do your cardio and lift! All 3 combined will surely help you all around. Don’t compare yourself to others. Most of the girls you see who are “ripped” have a bf% of under 10 and that’s not healthy year round. Now time to go eat my oatmeal and face the day. Don’t workout because you feel like you need to beat yourself up workout to lift yourself up. ? #lift #liftlife #morningworkout #gym #wearecrush #fit #fitness #fitfam #abs #fitspo #fitfemales #amwarrior #gym #gymtime #ig #igfit #flex #lifelessons #itsalifestyle #exercise #health #healthy #motivation #crushfit #crush60 #jerseygirltalk #abworkout #dontgiveup #yourbestself 

I wanted to share these thoughts because I think so many times we get way too hung up (myself included) in the end result that we beat ourselves up so badly during the process. We see females on social media with minimal body fat and assume that is “fit” but many of them are either just about to get on stage to compete or are many might not be living the very best/healthiest lifestyle. It takes a lot of dedication to get your body fat down to 6-7%, which is what most of them are come show time, and that is NOT healthy year round. That’s why I love when fitness competitors actually show their “off season” images, which to me are just as beautiful, if not more beautiful, because it is real and attainable. Please don’t allow images like that to skew your view on your progress. Take it day by day and when you have a good day, embrace it – when you have a bad day, get away from the mirror and don’t pick yourself apart.

FYI these images were taken less than 12 hours apart. It just goes to show you cannot beat yourself up. Even though in my mind the left photo is not so flattering I’m the same exact weight. On the left in my mind I felt “puffy” or “soft” and then this morning in the gym I felt better, even though nothing changed other than retaining water. As a person who is constantly struggling not to go into that “dark place” where you become obsessive about food and weight I try to not beat myself up too much. If I am not feeling my best I don’t go stand in the mirror and stare at what I don’t like. I don’t sit and poke and pinch at myself and think how bad it is. I tell myself to walk away from the mirror and tomorrow will be better. It’s a battle I know I will have for the remainder of my life; always comparing my body to others, but thankfully now in my 30’s I am much kinder to my mind and spirit than I was in my teens and 20’s.

 

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