Fitness experiences we all go through

Whether you’ve incorporated a healthier lifestyle into your life for a while now or you’re just starting off – wherever you may be in your journey, someone else has been there before. They’ve been through the DOMS, the avocado love obsession, the confusion of wanting abs but also wanting to eat a whole tub of ice cream, the excitement of your very first ‘gains’… You get it, we’ve all been there and here are some things that inevitably happen when you begin living a healthier lifestyle.

Excitement

You’ve made the decision to finally make healthier changes to your lifestyle and you are so ready for this. You’re pumped, you’ve got your gym membership and you’re going to have a smoking hot bod’.

Reality

First on your check list is to throw away all the junk food you currently have in your house (but by ‘throwing’ you secretly hide them away in case of emergencies – admit it). No more junk food on a regular occurrence. Aka, bye bye pizza, chocolate, crisps, biscuits, cheese (not the cheese!) – yup, reality has finally sunken in.

P.s, ‘getting rid of’ doesn’t mean eating the lot.

It’s all a bit too much

So, you head to the supermarket to do your healthy food shop – of which you’re totally excited and ready for (all that veg and fruit is totally going to make you a shining fitness goddess, right?). But alas, you’re immediately overwhelmed by the different options of ‘health’ bars, cereals, grains and an endless array of misleading labels. ’25g of sugar but it only contains 50 calories so it must be totally healthy, yeah?!’

The toilet issue

You’ve brought a brand new refillable water bottle and have started upping your water intake to flush out toxins, keep yourself hydrated and because well that’s what fitness people do. However, you need to pee all.the.time! When your shopping, when your driving and even during the middle of the night. Be prepared for the ‘old granny bladder’ comments (story of my life).

Accomplisment

It’s meal prep day. You rare up the cooker, dice the meat, cut the veg and boil the rice. Wow, this whole healthy eating thing is… easy! (she says doing a mini Elvis dance). Then comes the Instagram photos to show of your dedication – we’ve all done it.

Confidence 

You’ve got the hang of healthy cooking and meal prepping, you’re eating healthy and staying on track, you’re smashing your workouts and now you’re even thinking about the next! So, you decide to start telling your friends (you promise you’re not boasting) your co-workers and even snap a few photos of your meals and body on Instagram as if it was as easy as pie (still promising that you’re not boasting). You go girl!

Procrastination at it’s finest

You’ve just woken up and you’re just ‘too tired’ or ‘too busy’ to get your workout in yet. So, you spend an hour giving yourself a mini prep talk. ‘I’ve got this’, ‘I’m a freakin’ goddess’, ‘Do it for the post-endorphins’ blah blah and then you spend a further two hours creating a playlist which is bound to get you reeved up Beyonce style.

You won’t look hot

Your first day at the gym and you imagine yourself just like the fitness ad girls that look really pretty whilst they walk briskly on the treadmill without a drop of perspiration on their little make-up packed faces whilst they gossip away to each other. Nope, na uh. Doesn’t happen.

Instead be prepared for sweat, messy hair, sweaty hair, sweat covered clothes, red tomato face and more sweat. Oh wait, did I mention sweat? I hate to break it to you kid but you certainly won’t look pretty at the gym – if you do then YOU DIDN’T WORK HARD ENOUGH (or you’re just naturally blessed with the no sweat gene and I really don’t like you anymore. Just kidding… Kinda.)

How much?!

Now that you’re fully embedded in your new lifestyle you want to buy more gym clothes. A girl can never have too many, right? So you browse the stores and online websites – and then consider taking out a second mortgage and possibly also selling your car.

Pssttt… I like to shop at TKMaxx, H&M and Primark for affordable gym clothes that are just as decent!

Instant praise

It happens. Sometimes a lot, sometimes often but it certainly happens. You’ve had a great workout and you feel on top of the world – in fact your body looks fitter, leaner and stronger. ‘If I keep this up, I’ll look like an Instagram model in no time.’, ‘Is that an ab I see?’, ‘Gains, I see gains!’. Followed by the classic ‘Let’s take a selfie’.

Fascination

You love seeing your fitness stats from you watch, the gym equipment and also your nutrition macros. You’ve also started sharing snaps of it with your friends. But, best yet you’ve found a new interest of following other fitness accounts on Instagram and if anything like me – start your mornings off with it like a newspaper!

Disgust

Sweat. There’s just so much of it. You run to grab a towel and secretly wonder if you have a glandular problem. Nope, in fact sweating is totally normal and a great way to open up the pores! EXPRESS THE SWEAT.

It’s like a drug

You’re thinking about the gym. You need the gym. You need to workout. You need those post-endorphins. You need your ‘you’ time. Now you understand how people get hooked on this healthy living thing.

Obsession

Yup… you’re one of those people. Congratulations!