Today, as I was wrapping up work, a coworker and I starting chatting about fitness and she asked me how I got started down the path of being fitness oriented. I’ll get into that later…but I believe she was asking because she may have been searching for a way to get her fitness back. Over the next couple weeks, I want to share a couple secrets that I have discovered over the past few years on my journey. Hopefully you can apply some of these to your journey or maybe they can help get you started on your own journey. Enjoy!
Secret #1: Acknowledge the mountain then build a staircase, one stair-step at a time.
When I first started out, I would look at pictures in magazines and fitness pros online and think to myself, oh man…there’s no way. “I might as well not even try” is what I would often tell myself. It would look like a huge mountain that I felt I needed to conquer NOW…no time like the present. Then I’ll start the ascent to the summit of the huge fitness mountain. A few days in I’d get overwelmed by the exhausting climb and tumble right back down onto a pile of soda, pop, pizza, and candy wrappers. Lots and lots of candy. I like Reese’s. Yuuuum. And Snickers….oh they are heaven.
Learn from my mistake, don’t try to conquer the entire mountain with one giant push. It takes more than that to get a baby out (so I’ve heard) and I’m pretty sure it’s going to take more than that to get the fat out!
My suggestion: Start with one stair-step at a time. My first stair step was going on a walk at least 3x a week with my dog. I started with a walk around the block and my goal was 20 minutes. If one week I missed my walks or I didn’t make all 3, I said to myself “that’s ok, just keep building”. You’ll add a board to the step, knock some nails in tomorrow or next week, etc. Just focus on the step. You can do it. Self talk makes all the difference in the world. The world is full of negative self images and plenty of discouraging moments. Find peace and beauty in your own thoughts, after all, they are the only ones you can control! Whatever your first step is, focus on that step and not on the mountain. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the summit but make sure you enjoy the hike, too!!
Once I was in the habit (it took a few months, so be patient) and it was just ‘what I did’ I starting researching and looking for just the right lumber to build the second step. My second step was to run at least 20 minutes. And I didn’t qualify it. It could be a walk, run, walk or walk, run, lay in the grass to catch my breath, walk, run, walk, etc. I just had to make 20 minutes of faster than a walk. So I had my stop watch ready and only ran the time when I was running. Because I stayed with it and focused on my stairsteps, I recently finished a 5k in 30 minutes (my personal record). I can’t tell you how proud I was of that accomplishment. I built a staircase to a race! What!
Amazing. I am amazing. It’s EXTREMELY important to recognize and take credit for the work you have put in and what you have accomplished. No matter how big or small, YOU DID IT! Live in THAT moment.
I’m happy to say that today, 2 1/2 years after starting my hike up the mountain, I’m loving the view and looking forward to standing strong and building some more steps to the summit!
What is your first step???
Love Yourself First,
Kristin 😉
PS – I have officially registered for the Bodybuilding.com 12-Week Transformation Challenge. Wahoo! I’m pretty nervous about it but excited at the same time!! I am hoping to add some muscle and define my shape. And basically, just be a bada$$. 🙂 That’s my ultimate goal. Check out my nutrition, workouts, and progress tabs to follow along the journey. 🙂
Healthy Living with Kristin! 