Patience and Progression

More recently, I have found the process of waiting for my visual progress to be very difficult. It's a battle between heart and mind. My heart wants the body of my dreams right now...My head knows that it will take time, progress doesn't happen overnight, and that this is a life long commitment to health and positive changes. So why is it so difficult to patiently wait for the progress?

It Takes Time:
"All good things come to those who wait." I have always been a person that, when my mind is set, whatever it is, it has to happen now. With my physical process, I look at photos of myself and see the changes, but I also see all the changes that I still want to make. I heard it takes 12 weeks (3 months) for what I do in the gym to noticeably show on my body. So every time I go to the gym, everything I eat, every ounce of water I drink, will not be seen until August. Ugh-so close...yet so far away. I try to remind myself to look at the big picture. This is not a fad change or just pounds to lose, this is me changing my whole lifestyle. It's gonna be rocky, slow, and have a major learning curve. I have to allow my body to take its time.

Social Media Infiltration:
As much as I love Instagram and the fitfam it has created for me, I see pictures of girls (and guys) that are sooo far ahead of me in their journey with fitness. This is something that I find I need to be most careful with. It makes me compare my progress to others and leaves me feeling like I'm not changing quick enough. Instead of seeing these pictures as defeating, thinking to myself "Will I ever look that good?!" -- I try to focus on the motivation it brings. I can look that good and I will look that good, just wait...give it time. This is a journey of health, not quick, temporary results!

The Battle with Obsession:
I know guys struggle with this too, but I have heard it time and time again from women fitness models. Find balance! I find myself thinking about how I can become more of a crazy gym-goer and get results faster. I try to keep myself in check with this topic all the time. I love the gym. I love the way I feel after a killer workout, I love the way my body is changing, and I love eating healthy foods that give me energy. I don't want to ever lose sight of this joy! I can see how easy it would be to fall into obsessive thinking about everything. I can eat a cookie, have a sweet coffee, or enjoy that piece of candy...I don't have to kill myself at the gym to justify it and I don't have to guilt myself into never eating anything unhealthy. I want to make sure that, along with my physical health, my mental health is balanced as well. Balance, balance, balance.

Reminders:
Surrounding myself with supportive friends and family is important, but I have found that giving myself little positive, daily reminders is a way for me to focus on this overall journey. My parents gave me this necklace with Phil 4:13 on it. [necklace by Shields of Strength] It reminds me of two things...First, that the strength I have to hit the gym every day is not of my own. I was given a beautiful body to take care of and I need to learn how to treat it well and keep it healthy. Second, this is a life long journey. I want to be able to wear this necklace for a long time with pride to show where I spend so many hours and work so hard.

Waiting to see the changes is so hard, but I know they are happening. I can see my little baby muscles peering through, my six pack revealing itself, and I can feel my strength building each day. I need to keep looking at the big picture, take steps towards my greater goal, and be patient with the progress.

"Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you're waiting." - Joyce Meyer

What do you have a hard time waiting for?

Watch & Learn

This past weekend I got to experience my first NPC Muscle City Classic Competition! It was awesome!

The mission in going was very simple; sit, watch, and learn. I got to see what the bikini competition setting was like and how the models posed, flirt with the judges, dressed, and strut their muscular stuff. It was so much fun watching these beautiful women take the stage and own it.

As mentioned in a previous post, one of my major goals in the next year and a half is to compete in a bikini competition. When arriving at the show, I was really worried I might feel totally discouraged when I saw these women compete, but I had quite the opposite reaction...I loved it! If anything, it got me more excited to shed those extra pounds, pick up those weights, and climb those never-ending stairmill steps.

Throughout the competition, my friend and swolemate, Lisa [@triforfit on insta], sat next to me and we discussed who we thought would win, who had the best abs and butt, and who's rhinestone covered suit we wanted to steal. We joked about buying a bedazzler and bedazzling everything...it still may happen. She and I both have the goal to set foot on stage and we got so hyped up going to this competition. One day, I'm sure we'll be geared up and fake-tanned all over, talking about the first show we watched. Can't wait for that day.

In all, it was a great experience. The competitors did such a nice job and it felt great being able to support them after they put in so much hard work. There is so much to learn from watching others and this was a great way for me to start learning the ins and outs of bikini competitions.

"Ninety per cent of how you learn is watching great people. When you are surrounded by good actors it lifts your performance." -Natalie Portman

What have you learned from watching those who inspire you?

From Night to Morning

So recently I made the switch from working out solely at night to primarily the mornings. My current schedule has me working out 5 out of 6 mornings a week and I have discovered significant differences in the energy levels, my moods, my sleeping patterns, and my physical results. Here is what I have learned:

It's Easy to Hit Snooze:
In the mornings I like to talk myself out of getting up and I feel like we are all masters of this habit. It's like my blankets tie me to my bed at 6am. No exaggeration, it took me over a month to wake up early for the gym. I knew I wanted to, I knew it was a good idea, but I couldn't wake up extra early to workout before going to work. Finally, I started making it happen and a lot of it is due to having a workout buddy to meet.

My Metabolism is Mighty Fast:
I have noticed that after a morning workout, my desire for food during the day has increased. When I eat something light at 6:15am and hit the gym for a solid hour, my body gets going and starts working a lot earlier than it used to. I used to roll out of bed just in time to shower before work and passively want breakfast. Now, I crave it and can't wait for my next healthy snack. #snack30

More Time is Awesome:
I have a very sedentary day job. When work was done for the day, I would go straight to the gym and spend at least an hour or more working out before heading home. I would be so hungry for dinner, collapse on the couch, and barely have time to spend with my husband before sleep. Now, my workouts are done long before I get home and I have so much more time to make healthy meals and relax. I don't have to battle the "guilt" of skipping the gym if we want to be spontaneous because now my workouts are done in the mornings!

Catchin' Dem Z's:
I cannot wait for bed. I sound like an old fart, but after working out so early, working all day, and spending time with family, my bed is all I want. It is so much easier for me to wind down and sleep than it was after an hour-long, nightly workout session. My bed is just awesome, end of story.

Change is Never Easy:
Although I love working out in the morning, it is still a tough transition. I am, by nature, a night owl. There are days I would kill for a nap at 3:30, but if I eat the right foods and give my body the energy it needs, I feel awesome.

It's definitely hard to make a change, even if it's for the better. I have heard it said, it takes doing something consistently for 2 weeks to make it a habit. So, mornings, here I come!

"Change brings opportunity." - Nido Qubein

When do you workout?