[FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm an open book - so this is full of personal sharing.] I haven't been an "athlete" since I was younger. I played basketball all year round from the time that I was in 4th grade up until 8th grade when I didn't make the team that I wanted (because I was too lazy to practice) and I threw a hissy fit that I wouldn't be playing with my friends - So I quit. I ran cross country and track for a year in high school, but then used my asthma as an excuse - Again, I was really just being lazy. Fast-forward to about 2 years ago. I was recovering from a 6 month-long battle with depression and my goal was to work on myself. I had a gym membership for the longest time and decided it was time to buck up and use it. I started going for only a little bit - just to feel like I was doing something - and ended up doing cardio about 4 times a week. During this same time, I had started talking to a guy. I'm sure you can guess what comes next, but for storytelling's sake: This guy was BIG into the gym. He had his own reasons for taking care of himself, so we started planning to meet up at the gym. We would spend 3-4 hours at the gym - lifting, walking on the treadmill and just getting to know each other. It was great to be able to do something for myself and to also be able to look forward to seeing someone I liked while I was doing it. It gave me confidence in more ways than one and led to me making the decision to at least try and lead a healthier lifestyle. Since then, it's been a bit of a struggle, mostly because of the age-old adage, "I don't have time". I let myself believe that I have so many things to do and going to the gym would just set me back. I go through spurts where I'm really into the gym and I make it happen, but then work gets busy and I need to study and fitness takes a back seat. Luckily, that guy that gave me something to look forward to before is now my amazing boyfriend and he supports me both when I'm all about the gym and when I just wanna eat pizza and binge-watch Netflix. The purpose of this novel is that I had a time where fitness was my enemy and it gradually has become more of a friend. I want it to stay that way. Hopefully I'll get to the point where I'm ready to take some "selfies" for you so you can truly travel with me, but at this point all I have is some inspiration for you. These are the things that inspire me to push myself to be better & live healthier.
One of the big things I'm working on is eating smarter but also being conscious of the things I'm eating. Every person is different, so I really want to find a balance between things that I enjoy and that satisfy exactly what my body needs to be happy and healthy.
I can honestly say that working out is easier for me when I feel confident which - YES - includes having "cute" exercise clothes. I don't have any of that fancy schmancy lululemon (though if I had the cash, that would totally be all I would wear), but I find things that I really like and wear them, especially on days when the last thing I feel like doing is going to the gym. Sometimes just the fact that I am already dressed for the gym makes it that much easier to convince myself to go. Also - yoga pants and sports bras are just plain comfortable for lounging, so even on no-gym days that's pretty much my go to wardrobe. If you guys have any suggestions about budget-friendly & cute fitness brands, leave a comment & help a girl out!