Finding the Balance While Getting Fit

As I have been sharing on my Instagram, my husband and I decided to switch to a mainly vegetarian diet last year.  Choosing to eat healthier and cleaner allowed me to lose some weight.  This wasn’t something I was attempting to do, it was just a result of me consciously choosing to fuel my body with different food.  I was happy with my body and that happiness has led me to make better decisions food and exercise.

I have been trying to get some form of a workout in 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes.  I haven’t been doing anything extreme just walking, running, elliptical, or simple workouts in our apartment.  I feel great and had forgotten how much I enjoy working out.  I honestly believe I feel this way because I made these decisions for ME.  For the first time I made these decisions, not because I wanted to look good for other people or because I was reaching for that perfect societal body idealism.  I simply made these decisions because I wanted to feel better, to eat better, and to get fit.

There have been moments where I started to fall back into that mindset of working for something that wasn’t in sync with my goals and self-love.  Even when we practice self-love daily, it is funny how those little things start to slip back in.  I just need to lose 5 more pounds, I just need to fit into these pants, etc.  I have been working to be conscious of these moments in my self-talk. 

When I find myself falling back into those old habits or self-loathing moments I just take a break.  Yes, I take a break! This is a form of self-care for me, same as working out, but it allows me to reset my mind.  To remind myself that I am not doing this to lose those last 5 pounds or to get into a pair of jeans.  I am doing this because I like the way I feel when my body is moving and sweaty.  I like the way my body feels when I am eating clean and drinking my 80+oz of water a day. 

I spent so much time hating my body and there is never going to be a time when I don’t struggle with my self-love (that is alright).  I can make sure that I do not fall back into those unhealthy mindsets and habits.  I can take a moment or an entire day and just focus on reminding myself why I am doing this.  That this is for me and only me.  That I am not here to strive for an unattainable societal body image, I am simply here to better myself. 
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Remember…we create our life and our story simply by what we think and do.