How I lost 20 LBS and Got into The Best Shape of My Life
When I started working out as a skinny 25 year old, my goal was to “bulk up” and improve my confidence. I was in a cycle of bad habits, inconsistent workouts, had extremely low self-esteem and was fed up with feeling like a failure. In the summer of 2009, I decided to make a change. With my life headed down the wrong path, I knew that the one thing I could change and had immediate control over was exercise. Daily workouts at the local YMCA became like therapy sessions and day after day, I started to feel more confident. My family and friends started noticing the changes, which gave me the discipline and drive to continue. I was hooked!
Fast forward 5 years and the second phase of my fitness journey began as a personal trainer following my passion for fitness, working in a local gym. My life and career were moving in the right direction but surprisingly, with an extra 40 lbs on my frame I didn't feel very fit. I consistently worked out but I was over-consuming calories and alcohol, which is a recipe for disaster. I had worked all these years trying to be more muscular, but could barely run a mile or play my favorite sports. It was time for another change.
Just as I had previously done, I started to implement new healthy habits into my routine. In addition to weight lifting, I began prioritizing healthy home cooked meals (mostly vegetarian), lots of stretching, weekly basketball games and I started jogging occasionally.
This shift had the greatest impact on both my mental and physical health. With my new routine and new found confidence, I noticed that whenever I devoted time to improving my health and stepping out of my comfort zone, life rewarded me in incredible ways.
Still to this day, I’m constantly working on improving my mental and physical health and I’m proud to say that at close to 40 years old, I’m running half-marathons, feel stronger than ever and am in the best shape of my life.
I never would’ve imagined that that decision I made back in the summer of 2009, would have led me to where I am today, continuing to follow my passion and helping thousands of people improve their health as well.
If you’re feeling stuck, just starting your fitness journey or need some motivation, here are six of the most important lessons I’ve learned along my fitness journey:
1- Self-reflection. Make time self-reflect and assess your life and health. What things are you doing well and what should you change? This can be a little scary at first but it's the most important step towards the best version of yourself. Writing down and visualizing your goals is a perfect place to start.
2- Take action. You can think and plan all you want but the only way to move forward is by taking action. Remember, imperfect action always beats inaction. Having the perfect workout or meal plan doesn’t help if you don’t get up and do something.
3- Focus on what you can control. There are so many factors in life that we can’t control. What you do have control over is the effort that you put in today.
4- Embrace change. Change can be scary and uncomfortable but when we embrace change, it opens up opportunities for us to grow and learn. What small changes and habits can you make today that, done consistently, will lead to massive results in 2-3 months?
5- Mental health is important. When I started reframing exercise around doing it for my mental health, I became more consistent. Exercise is the perfect expression of self-love and it shouldn’t be used to punish yourself.
6- The journey is more important than your goals. Over time, your fitness goals may change but the person you’re becoming and the skills you’re developing along the journey are more important than anything else. Every minute of exercise or healthy meal is a vote for the person you’re becoming. The beautiful thing about health and fitness is that the journey always continues, even after you’ve accomplished your goals.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
I’d love to help you along your fitness journey so here’s how I can help: