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Part Three: Stay Consistent, Be Persistant.

Part Three: Stay Consistent, Be Persistant.

Happy Tuesday, babes!  So, I may or may not have stolen the title of this blog from one of favorite spin instructors in Dallas (hey, JD) big surprise, I know.  BUT, after hearing it during countless spin classes I realized it had a bigger meaning to me than to just push through 45 minutes of hard work, it was the mantra to my bigger picture.  No, this doesn’t mean I chant that to myself in the mirror every day, I prefer the morning “you’re like, really pretty” kind of self-love, and if I forget to say it, my doormat reminds me, so we’re covered.  Without further ado, let’s dive into the now of this three part wellness journey.

Consistency, as you’re very aware of by now, has always been a struggle for me.  As my dear friend Mary would say, finding your grey or your balance is the key to success.  She’s not wrong, but it’s a lot harder to do than it is to say.  Since back surgery, I’ve settled in and out of balance while adjusting to my new normal.  First, I threw myself into my therapy, going as often as possible, keeping up with my exercises on my own, and walking and swimming in between for extra endurance training.  I wasn’t eating as clean as I should have been, but I was maintaining all the progress I had made pre back surgery, which was a victory within itself.  

Cut to me getting the green light from my surgeon to start spin classes.  Mind you he told me to take it easy, so naturally, I set a goal of doing 50 spin classes in a row without missing a day, because that’s an easy transition back into intense workouts, right?!  I was spinning 7 times a week and even doing doubles when I could manage, and I felt SO great.  The weight was again falling off and I didn’t want it to stop.  Unfortunately, I became addicted to results (AGAIN) and lost all concept of balance.  So much so that taking a week to go home and see my family was giving me anxiety because I couldn’t spin every day, NO BALANCE AVITAL, NO BALANCE. This made me realize what a lunatic I had become and decided that no amount of spin classes in a row was worth having round two of this back surgery (although I did make it to 50 in a row *pats herself on shoulder even though she’s dumb*).

Where am I with all of this now?  (I feel I’m narrating a segment of true life: where are they now, expect I’m the editor, producer, and of course, the star).  I’ve started working with a nutrition coach to start normalizing a cleaner diet.  During my year of intense weight loss I was strictly practicing low carb.  Not as intense as keto (frankly, not the biggest keto fan), but it worked stunningly for me.  With that being said, in my opinion, low carb isn’t necessarily a healthy and balanced way to eat.  I’ve worked towards eating 5 - 6 small meals a day, cutting all snacking in between, and eating two starch based healthy carbs a day, rather than counting them as fruits and veggies.  To my surprise (yes, I really was surprised because I was so in the headspace that only low carb worked) it’s working.  I know, I know, eating fruits/veggies/protein/and starches and cutting sugar is working. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?  

Up next, persistency.  You’ve seen enough examples of my daily instability, who else rides a roller coaster like this every freaking day?  Looking for a friend.  Here comes the part where I tell you what I’ve learned and the moral of this three part monstrosity that is also my life.  I’ve learned to love the journey.  Becoming a healthier person is an everyday, every moment kind of process and learning to appreciate the small victories.  For example, seeing a baby muscle appear on your arm is just as important as seeing tangible success on the scale.  Giving yourself grace when making a change like this is crucial.  Weight gain/loss and body change doesn’t happen overnight and neither will creating positive lifestyle habits.

Progress looks different for everyone, so be mindful of that and persistent when things aren’t going as you planned.  I would have weeks that the scale wouldn’t budge and it drove me crazy, but my clothes were getting baggier and I was more successful in my workouts, so clearly progress was happening, just not in the way I might have expected.  I often try to look back at old pictures or think of old eating habits, as it helps me realize how far I’ve come. Before, when I would fall off the wagon from a diet, I was off of it HARD.  I was eating poorly for every meal of the day, not working out, and feeling like crap.  Today, if I were to fall off the wagon, it might mean I had a healthy breakfast, worked out, snacked poorly, and had a cheat meal that day.  Perfection?  Absolutely not.  Progress.

If you’re going through a journey of similar nature or have already (although I don’t really ever think it ends) there is no perfect way to get to a healthier version of yourself.  We all know there are a million diet plans out there, and why?  Because every single body is different.  At the end of the day, without persistency and consistency, any plan you put in place will fail.  Like I said in the first part of this rant, it took me a long time to feel comfortable posting this because it’s personal and hard for me to talk about.  Ultimately I want you to find comfort in that whole “not being alone through this struggle” concept.  If you need support, I got you.  I’ll just leave you with this, if you don’t want to have to keep starting over, then stop giving up.  Until next time babes. XO

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Wright Photography.

Wright Photography.

Dating Diaries: Episode 7

Dating Diaries: Episode 7

Part Two: No Pain, No Gain.

Part Two: No Pain, No Gain.