2014... A New Year, New You, New ME!

Happy New Year Fit Friends!!!

I never post about anything personal (there is a reason for that) but I thought I would share some of my own thoughts and goals for the upcoming New Year. (throughout the blog I have just a couple of my favorite memories from the past year---it was hard to choose!)

I like to keep my blog pretty informative about health and fitness and overall wellness, but I do realize that any sort of heath journey can be emotional. Whether your goal is to lose weight or lose body fat or tone up, it can weigh on your emotional well-being and can get to your head pretty quickly.

Most of my closest friends know that I struggled with an eating disorder for much of my young adult life. I had always been conscious of my weight and my body but it started to get unhealthy. Everything took a turn for the worse when I started college. All of the external changes around me made me feel “out of control” so I turned to the one thing that I could control….my body. I restricted myself from eating and forced myself to fit in 2 workouts/day. I was miserable. My otherwise happy/carefree demeanor was gone. I learned to “put a face on” and get through most of my days that way. I was a shell of what I wanted to be. After about 7 years (and a lot of therapy) I was starting to feel like myself again. I was able to find happiness in my friends, my family and my husband. And I could look at food not only as fuel for my body but actually as something that tasted good! I was enjoying life again like I knew I could. For any of you who have struggled with disordered eating, you know it’s not fixed overnight. It’s a constant inner battle and some days are good and others are pretty challenging. I am incredibly fortunate to have support from those who love me and I couldn’t get through anything without them. 

Through this journey I have learned to love my body for what it is and am constantly working at bettering myself. It’s no longer about being skinny, it’s about being STRONG and keeping myself healthy.

In this day and age it’s SO hard not to compare yourself to others…especially other women. It’s almost impossible! The competition to keep up with others can be brutal! In a profession where your “body is your billboard” I often feel extra pressure to keep up. After all, people tend to hire trainers whom they wish to look like. After a lot of soul searching and conversations with some incredible women over the years, I have realized there is SO much more to life than that. Obviously, this is a lesson we already know…but LIVING it is totally different. It’s not about what size you are or what the scale says….its about how you FEEL. Your body is your temple and you only get ONE!

So here’s where the resolutions come in…….

-I want us women to EMBRACE our DIFFERENCES and SUPPORT each other instead of COMPARE each other. We are all wired so differently and God has made each of us special in our own ways. I have found with clients, friends, (and with myself) you will LOOK your best when you FEEL your best. Healthy eating/living and regular workouts are wonderful for not only the OUTSIDE, but the INSIDE as well. Yo-yo dieting and restricting and working to exhaustion will only leave you tired, cranky and miserable with yourself. Not to mention, you probably won’t look your best! Stop trying to look like someone else and start wanting to look like YOUR best self.

-Everyday think about all the things you are grateful for. It’s a crazy world out there, but at the end of the day I have a family that will never stop 

supporting me, friends who loves me, a husband who adores me and a career I could have only dreamed of. What more do I really need from life?! Be grateful

 -Set realistic goals for yourself and STICK to them! It’s amazing how gratifying is is to achieve something you have always wanted to do. In 2012 I competed in my first fitness competition. Given my past, the thought of putting on a bikini in front of hundreds of people and terrible lighting was PETRIFYING. But, I set my mind to it, trained hard for 3months and DID it. Was I the best looking physique there? Heck no! But I felt amazing!

I had set a goal (one that I wanted to quit several times) and I stepped onto that stage oozing with confidence. I heard my support system screaming in the audience and knew that I was good enough. Good enough for them and FINALLY good enough for myself. So do something in 2014 that scares you! The feeling afterward is one that can’t be replicated. 

-If you’re unhappy in ANY aspect of your life…..change it!! Whether it’s your relationship, a friendship, your career, etc. If you don’t like where it’s going or it doesn’t make you a better person, for heaven sakes, do something about it! Leaving the corporate world of working for someone else and getting a steady paycheck for the unpredictable world of working for yourself was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not to mention, one of the things I am most proud of. It is not only freeing, but so incredibly satisfying. My career is so important to me and I don’t think the passion I feel for helping others love their bodies will ever go away! I encourage you to find something you LOVE to do too! Life is too short!

-Leave your judgments at the door. We are all guilty (me included) of being judgmental. Let’s all try to replace judgments with support. The world is already harsh enough, no need to add to it! Reach out to those who are struggling, keep your friends extra close, cherish every relationship you have and try to be your best self this year!

-And last but not least….just BE HAPPY 

Whatever happiness means to you….do it! Keep doing the things that make you feel good and cut the things out of your life that don’t. Try your hardest at everything you do and never give up on yourself. You are worth it…I am worth it…we are all worth true, unconditional happiness.

These are a few of my own personal resolutions, join me! Let’s try to make 2014 the best year yet!

           

XOXO
Kelli :)