Progress Not Perfection

I heard a great quote once on an inspirational talk I was listening to, and it struck a chord with me.

"Often we overestimate the event, and underestimate the process."

That is so true, and I have found myself guilty of that sometimes in my health and fitness journey. We see pictures of where we want to be, know what exactly we want our bodies to look like in the end, and in our typical American mindset...we want it NOW.

We think "if I was only at this weight, or this size, THEN I would be happy."
"If I just got this promotion, THEN I would be happy."
"If we just found this certain kind of house, THEN I would be happy."
"If he/she would just do this, THEN I would be happy."

I want to encourage you...don't get stuck in the end results. Set your sights on your goals and dreams, and dream BIG, yes. But don't put all your stock in that one event, because it will come and go and leave you chasing after the next thing like chasing after a wind that just won't stand still.

Find beauty in the process, because I'm telling you, no matter what your journey, whether to health, a different career, a different place in your relationship, there is beauty there. We go through seasons in life- we have to. Find the joy in each season.

The process has not always been easy for me. There are days that I feel bloated and "fluffy" as I tell my husband and he affectionately reminds me "No, you're beautiful. Fluffy is a three headed dog, and you are NOT fluffy." (For those of you who caught that Harry Potter quote, I applaud you!)

Point is, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. There are rainy days. But you know what? There's something beautiful and freeing even in a rainy day. And without those hard days, we would not grow. If it was easy, we wouldn't get stronger. We wouldn't change.

EMBRACE the process.

I'm learning day by day on how to embrace the process, because I know reaching my "goal weight" won't signal the end of my journey in the health and fitness realm. It will just transition into something new, because this is a lifestyle that I am setting for myself.

One of my biggest lessons from learning how to love this process in my journey to health...taking pictures. Sure, it can be uncomfortable at first. You may not enjoy what you see in the mirror. But if you are staying consistent, working out, watching what you eat, you should be seeing results week to week.

I've made it a point to take pictures every week. You might not see a HUGE difference just from week to week, there are weeks that I don't see a huge change. But when you compare your first to your last, you WILL see that change, and remember why the process is all worth it.

Take those small steps every day, and you will get there. Love the process. Laugh, cry, dance, sing...LIVE. Don't get caught up in the event, but dream big and DAILY go after it, enjoying every day for the blessing that God has given us. 

My Secret to Staying Motivated

Flipping through the pages of most magazines on the shelves these days makes me nauseous. I ache for women both thin, large, and everywhere in between that hold up these images, then look at themselves and compare. I want this to be understood now...YOU are beautiful.

Stop comparing yourself to the magazines. To the models. To that other person. You are not that other person. And you are beautiful. BE YOU.

One of the biggest struggles throughout my life and my journey with weight loss is knowing how to stay motivated. I knew I didn't want to get sucked into staring at pictures from magazines and use that as motivation. That to me was like torture.

So if we don't use the images society gives us to stay motivated and on track for our goals, especially in any health and fitness journey, what do you use?

I'm going to let you in on three of my "secrets" of how I have stayed motivated on my journey so far. For the record, this is the longest I've EVER held to anything in regards to health and fitness. I tried Weight Watchers for a while in high school, did good, but then fell off track. I tried Slim in 6 and Hip Hop Abs, got through a few weeks and gave up.

But I am thrilled to be able to say that I am now entering into my sixth month of consistently working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Not without ups and downs, but I have stuck with it. So how have I done it when I was never able to stick with anything before?

1. I started with a strong support partner. I came to my husband in January and told him I wanted to start working out and I wanted to get healthy. I asked him if he would work out with me for 10 weeks (the duration of the program we did, T25). He agreed and he held me accountable to working out every single day, and we did it!

I know that not all of you may have a supportive spouse, or someone who just gets it in your family, but I encourage you to find someone, whether a close friend, a relative, or whoever, and ask them to keep you accountable. Explain why it's important to you. They don't have to workout with you, but ask them to keep you accountable.

Post workout picture with my wonderful husband.

2. I remembered WHY I started, and didn't give up. Remembering why you are doing this is so key. There will be days you don't want to do it. But do you want your goal more? You should. The end goal should propel you forward even on the hard days. If it isn't strong enough, find a stronger reason.

If you need to, write down your reason why you are doing it. Put it in front of your face so you are DAILY reminded of why you started. Remove giving up and quitting from your mind and vocabulary. Don't let it even be an option! Trust me, it will be worth it.

3. I plugged into and then lead a challenge group. I decided I was going all into this, and I plugged myself into a group of like minded people online. I lead a group of women who were all doing a workout program, and we kept each other accountable every day.

I posted motivation, I researched and learned new tips to share, and we all pressed forward together. Being a part of a challenge group has been one of the biggest keys to staying motivated for me. Because I know there is a group of women that I am held accountable to, and I am holding them accountable.

We are all making positive changes in our lives, and it's so incredible to be surrounded with people who are going through the exact same thing as you. Who struggle one day with wanting to work out, and then a group that we can share our victories with, and FINISH with.

The results from my first round of T25

I can't even put into words what it has meant for my life to be getting on track with my health and fitness. I still have a long ways to go, but I have also come a long way. Not only physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. I have seen growth and joy increase in all areas of my life.

If you're looking for a change, but don't know how to stay motivated or don't know where to start, please contact me. I would love to help you in any way that I can, whether it's just answering questions, or if you want to be a part of any of the Challenge Groups that I lead monthly, please reach out to me!

Because of the change I have experienced in my life, I am here to pay it forward and help YOU. Don't put your health on the backburner, trust me, it's worth the time and effort you put in to change, even if it's just baby steps and a little bit at a time.

So, now that I've shared my motivation secrets, what are yours? What keeps YOU motivated? Comment below with your favorite ways to stay on track!