Photos By: Rachel Hawthorne
I was a self-starter and self-motivator. I never hired any trainers nor had anyone guiding me by my side. Before I signed up for a gym membership, I was following a few fitness athletes on YouTube and Instagram that were my biggest influencers. I was always so inspired by their posts and thought it was nearly impossible to achieve the body they had. I always thought it was a full-time commitment and a waste of time where it would interfere with your work schedule, but I was wrong.
It was very challenging the first 5 months I started attending the gym. I would always come up with excuses not to go, and then I realized I’d get nowhere if I wasn’t strict with my self. So, I overcame that by creating a weekly schedule. I first started taking it easy at the gym by just doing cardio and some legs, because I thought lifting weights was “manly.” I came to the conclusion I was overdoing my cardio when I plateaued at only losing 5 pounds, which most likely was water weight. My goal was to get more toned around the body, with firmer, tighter skin and some muscle gain, but I wasn’t achieving that by just doing cardio. Yes, I naturally have a fast metabolism, but have you heard of the term skinny fat, also know as MNOW (metabolically obese normal weight)? Well you are basically under lean, but over fat. I hate to admit, but I was defiantly one of those people. I ate anything, everything, and anytime I wanted.
By watching a lot of YouTube videos and following many fitness athletes, I started gaining more knowledge on how to workout properly, including lifting weights. I was kind of embarrassed trying out new workouts I learned online, encase I was doing them wrong and someone was watching me. But, step-by-step, little by little, I learned more about every workout along the way.
After about 5 months of working out I started seeing results. I saw a little muscle gain and firmer skin. I was so impressed by my body transformation that it gave me even more motivation to continue my pursuit of a healthier life style. I started training a bit harder by splitting up my workouts per body part throughout the week. After about a year, I became more fit than I ever was, to that point the gym became a hobby not a chore.
Every fit woman I saw at the gym working out gave me so much inspiration and I always thought, “When would be the day I can look like them and start inspiring people like they inspire me.” Well, 3 years later I built a super lean body I was proud of. Yes, it was a lot of hard work, but I don’t regret it. I am now more confident in my physic than I ever have been. You see yourself in the mirror everyday and it’s best to feel satisfied with your body.
Never in my life was I on any juice cleanse or intense diets. I have a strict Monday-Friday diet schedule where I eat super lean foods and watch what I eat. I also cut sweets out of my diet (maybe I’ll have some chocolate once in a while but that’s about it). If you train your body properly and combine it with a healthy diet, believe me, you’ll never have to take a diet program. Diet programs may work, but don’t you agree you gain that weight back within a few weeks after you go off it?
A lot of people start with trainers and maybe it’s a great option for you as well, just as long as you get started. Going to the gym and eating healthier is defiantly a lifetime commitment. You will need to consistently go to the gym to maintain what you have achieved. Always remember that its hard to gain the body you sweat for, but easy to loose it. You will always appreciate more the things you work for.
Xx Esther
