What you truly gain from fitness
Losing weight is the number one goal the majority of my clients wish to achieve. As someone who works almost exclusively with women who are postpartum on their fitness, this can be a very sensitive and difficult goal to navigate. As women, we tend to place a lot of value on who we are and how worthy we are based on how much we weigh. For centuries, a woman's body has been judged and placed at a certain value based on her size. It's hard to reach your weight loss goals and maintain progress if you don't love yourself first. Fitness goes far beyond physical progress, it is the opportunity to push past your insecurities and realize how much you are mentally and physically capable of. The size of your body doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is the size of your confidence and self-image.
So what is it that we really lose when we shed pounds or inches? More important than the number on the scale, we also shed our self-doubt. When we challenge ourselves to be accountable, and to do something we may even be a bit afraid of, we grow in so may ways. I think sometimes we are afraid to push ourselves because we are self-sabotaging. History has rooted its value in women upon a ridiculous numerical ideal, and in turn, women subconsciously feel we are undeserving because we don't fit into that ideal. We give up before we really try. We spiral into this whirlpool of negativity and start believing what we keep telling ourselves: I am never going to reach my goals. I am too far away from where I want to be. I don't deserve the body or the life I want because I am not ______ enough. It goes on and on. The pressure society puts on women to be a certain way is incredibly heavy, so no wonder we give up before we even truly try.
So how do we break out of this self-destructive way of thinking and actually achieve our goals as women? I believe it goes back to why we are trying to reach those goals (losing weight, fitting into a wedding dress, gaining strength, etc.). We will succeed when we do it because we love ourselves enough to take care of our bodies, not because we hate the way our bodies look.
Exercise isn't a punishment, it is a reward. It is something we do for ourselves because we deserve to treat ourselves well. We are beautifully and wonderfully made, and taking care of our bodies through exercise and nutritious food is a way we can honor ourselves. I say this with love as someone who truly cares about you and your well-being, stop being so hard on yourself. Quit the negative self talk. Enough believing the lies you keep telling yourself. You are worthy regardless of whether or not you fit into that dress, or have a chiseled 6-pack, or have perfectly smooth cellulite-free thighs. You know what is sexy? I'll give you a hint: it's not a "perfect body," its confidence.
If you were waiting for a sign to get started on a fitness routine, this is it. Quit putting it off. You are deserving, so prove it to yourself through fitness.
BE BOLD. BE FIT.
Not sure where or how to get started? Start with a free consultation to discuss your goals and get real-time advice from an ACE Certified fitness trainer. Go to chloepufftraining.as.me to book your assessment today. Limited space available.