Fit or Fat?
Yes...you are right. This was the very book that the lovely Cher Horowitz chose to read as her one non-school book a week in one of my favorite movies of all time, Clueless.
It's also a question that I started asking myself about a year ago...
I have always been a very active person. I was a dancer for many years, and I have participated in my fair share of kickboxing, step aerobics, zumba, yoga, pilates, <insert every other type of group fitness class here>, classes throughout the years. You see, I have never been that person who could just go to the gym and do my own workout. I get bored. I also have always eaten FAIRLY healthy (or so I thought), and I was blessed to inherit the japanese-petite-I-will-never-get-fat-or-old-and-wrinkly gene from my mama and grandma.
The problem was that I was never truly happy with my body. It didn't matter how skinny people told me I was, what the weight on the scale said, or how many group fitness classes I attended each week...I just wasn't seeing the results I wanted.
About a year ago, I started really looking at that question, "Fit or Fat?" Was I even looking at the right question? Was it a matter of being fit or fat, or of being healthy and strong? Just because you appear to be "skinny" DOES NOT always mean you are healthy! I had a choice to make. I could either keep moaning and groaning about how I looked and felt, or I could actually do something about it. I made a lifestyle change. I decided that I wanted to be HEALTHY and STRONG. Not skinny. Not a certain weight. Not a mirror replica of a model or actress in a magazine. Not even necessarily the opposite of "fat."
Here are 5 things I have learned throughout my journey this past year making the lifestyle change of becoming HEALTHY and STRONG...
1) I was "working out" at the gym COMPLETELY WRONG! My dear cousin, Jimmy Myers, opened up a little business that has literally changed my life. He opened a gym called Tampa Bay Athletics that not only introduced me to amazing new friends, but to the concept that I could be STRONG. Never in a million years would I have thought that I could EVER deadlift 190 lbs. off the ground, or squat with 165 lbs. on my back, or push 80 lbs. over my head. I always thought weightlifting made girls bulky and "man-ish." BOYYYYYY was I wrong! Including Olympic Weightlifting into my daily workout routine has transformed my body. I have lean, strong muscles, and I definitely don't look bulky! I also started sprinting, using kettlebells, ropes, and exercises like box jumps, pull ups and push ups to make me faster, stronger, and more agile. It's a fact- building muscle burns more fat. I highly encourage you to introduce weightlifting into your workout routine (yes, girls...I mean YOU!). If you are looking for a place to begin...come visit us at Tampa Bay Athletics.
2) There is no need to diet...EVER. It makes me so angry when I see all these diets out there...South Beach, Atkins, etc. None of them work! Sure, maybe they work for a while, and you lose a bunch of weight, but are you honestly going to eat that way and stick with it forever? Probably not. It is literally so simple- EAT. CLEAN. I was obsessed with looking at the nutritional labels of everything I bought. How many calories, how much fat, how much sugar. I had to buy everything "fat free" "low fat." The problem is...I completely ignored what really mattered. The ingredients. If you have something labeled "fat free" in your fridge right now, take a look at the ingredients. Chances are you can't pronounce half of them, and there are a ridiculous amount of them listed. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that my yogurt shouldn't have 15+ ingredients. It's yogurt! The more ingredients, the more processed your food is. I challenge you to go in your fridge and pantry right now and throw away anything processed. Eat only clean, wholesome, (preferably organic) foods! Stay along the perimeter of the grocery store. You don't need to eat 3 huge meals a day. Eat 5-6 smaller meals, but that are PACKED with protein, good carbs (yes there are good carbs) and tons of amazing fruits and veggies. It's not about eating less, or eating only a certain type of food, it's about eating BETTER.
3) Abs are made in the KITCHEN, and not the GYM! I kept wondering why I was doing a million crunches and sit ups but I still wasn't getting the ripped abs I was after. I mean, if I workout 5 days a week, that means I can eat whatever I want, right? WRONG! If you want all that glorious new lean muscle to show through, get rid of that layer of belly fat by eating clean AND incorporating weights and strength into your workout routine.
4) Drink water. Period. And lots of it! Drinking a ton of water is hands down one of the best things you can do for your body. It helps your body systems function better, it clears up your skin, and it makes you FEEL better overall. I know the second I haven't had enough water because I get a headache. It never fails. This is something super easy that you can change about your lifestyle to begin heading down that road of healthiness and happiness.
5) Stop making excuses! If you don't make it a lifestyle change, don't expect to see results. You can't just workout 2 days a week and KIND OF eat clean or "healthy." If you truly want to see your body composition change, you need to STICK WITH IT! Find a friend to be your workout buddy, or join a gym like TBA so you can workout with people who share your fitness and health goals. Find recipes that you are honestly excited about trying. Eating clean does not mean you have to eat plain fish and broccoli every night! I love to try and find yummy and clean alternatives to my favorite comfort foods. Like buffalo chicken quinoa bites instead of chicken wings :)
I know I'm no expert, and some of you may have stopped reading this a thousand words ago, but I do know that I've come a long way in a year, and I am ridiculously proud of myself. I'm not even afraid of sounding conceited saying that. Making this lifestyle change to be HEALTHY and STRONG was the best decision I have ever made. Hands down.
It won't be easy. You will want to give up. You will cry. You will cheat. But if you stick with it, if you persevere, there is no greater glory.
The question isn't whether you are Fit or Fat. The question is..."Do you want to be healthy and strong?"
YOU WON'T GET THE BUTT YOU WANT BY SITTING ON THE ONE YOU HAVE!
After my wedding I fell off the wagon a bit, so I can't wait to start this challenge on 9/16 and get myself back on track! I will post periodically as I make my way through the challenge. If I can inspire even one person through this blog, the way that my friends at Tampa Bay Athletics have inspired me, then every word I just typed was worth it.
You have the ability. You can do it. You have the power to make these life changes towards becoming a healthy and strong person! Now...the ball is in your court :)
Mari, to hear someone like you talk about being unhappy with who you are makes it seem like an insurmountable battle for someone like me. However, I completely understand where you are coming from.
ReplyDeleteMy goals are not the same as yours, however, they are just as important to me as yours are to you. I am impressed and proud of all you have achieved. You have great willpower and personal strength.
I am thankful for having known you and inspired to try and better myself because of your tenacity.