This title of this blog post is my favourite saying ever, because it is 100% true. When you decide you want something, does it feel more gratifying to have it instantly or to work hard to get it? Sure, initially instant gratification wins out in the short term, but the thing(s) that you want and work hard for is the thing(s) you value for a long time.
A bit about me. My name is Michelle. I’m 28 years old and have belonged to Element Crossfit since mid-late March 2010. I can say by far that joining was one of the best things I ever did, but this is not a promotion for Element CrossFit :) What I want to share is some information and knowledge I have acquired over the past 6 years regarding body transformation. I have had many conversations with people over the years and especially recently, about how I went from what I was (read the next paragraph) to what I am now. I love to share information and help whenever I can, as I have been lucky enough to meet some amazing people who helped me along my journey as well.
I was never a small/skinny girl growing up. At 5’10”, I was usually the tallest in my class and my dad liked to refer to me as a “big” girl. Despite the many sports &activities my parents encouraged me to join, I refused to be athletic. Sitting around, watching TV, eating junk food was much more appealing to me. I continued to gain weight through high school. Before I went off to university, I recall weighing myself and seeing the numbers 187 on the scale. I didn’t let it phase me really. I somehow convinced myself that I weighed the same all through university, and then reality set in when I was done school and stepped on the scale, only to see the numbers 240. I remember that day like it was yesterday. That day was the day I decided to make a change. I never liked being big, but it always seems you have to hit your “breaking point” before you are truly ready to make a lifestyle change.
Enough about my story (for now). I asked Alex if I could write a blog post or two regarding what I have learned over the years, so I can help people who are looking to make changes and are either afraid to ask for help, or want something documented so they can go back to it. Let me start by saying that the hardest part is making the decision to change your life. Once you have made that decision, implementation is fairly straightforward if you believe in yourself and the outcome. Lifestyle changes are simple, but they are not easy. Here are the facts...you will change your body composition if you:
- Eat a proper diet (including all food groups)
- Perform anaerobic activity
- Perform aerobic activity
In my opinion, that is the order of importance as well. Let me clarify that I am not a nutritionist, dietician, personal trainer, etc. Everything I write is purely from experience.
Before this post gets too long, I will give the few pieces of advice I give to people when they tell me they are ready to make a lifestyle change:
- Log everything you eat (what and how much)....everything for one week. Even if it is pizza! Knowing how you got to where you are can help you figure out what you need to do to change your direction. After the week take a look at what you ate and see if there are things you can remove, reduce, and replace. Ask Rachel or someone else that is knowledgeable to help you identify areas of improvement (i.e. eating less, maybe eating more, more often, more protein, etc.) I’m available to help!
- Move! Walk, walk faster, jog, run, take the stairs, lift something heavier than a bottle of beer. It all adds up. (Join ECF :) ). Just get your heart rate up (within reason of course. Make sure you have been checked out by your doctor before starting anything new.)
- Write down your goals. Writing them down makes you significantly more likely to achieve them.
- Tell someone about your goals. This helps you stay accountable. Tell someone who is supportive and will help you when you are feeling down and motivate you when you are feeling great!
- Realize that the body you have is a reflection of all your past thinking, eating and activity/lack thereof. You can absolutely change what you are if you want to. Believe it and visualize it.
- Take measurements, with a tape measure, not the scale. By using the scale you can get frustrated, especially if you are working out since you could be in the sweet spot where you are losing fat and gaining muscle. The scale won’t tell you that. How your clothes fit is the best indicator. I only finally accepted this and that is why I no longer own a scale. You can say hi to it as it now is property of ECF.
I think I will end this post with some visuals. Most people don’t believe I used to weigh 240. So here are some photos...one of me on vacation in Feb 2004 and one of me on vacation in June 2010 (note the bruise on my knee from doing burpees! Haha). I’m not exactly sure how much I weigh now, probably somewhere in the 150’s.
Did it take me a while to go from A to B? Yes.
Was it difficult? Yes.
Did I want to quit? Yes and I did several times.
Is it worth it now? Absolutely! Am I where I want to be?
No, but I’m a work in progress and I enjoy the journey.
I hope to share more information/experiences in the weeks/months to come.
