“I see you eating whatever you want and not exercising” – Pants
Dear girl trying to get back in shape,
I know it’s hard. I know the hardest thing you may do all day is walk into the gym. I know how easy it is to want to give up and go eat Chicken McNuggets, but don’t do it. I know it feels like you work so hard and get no where. I know how frustrating it is to see that person across the table from you eat a Big Mac every day while you eat your carrots and still be half of your size. I know that awful feeling where you don’t want to go to the gym because you know how out of shape you are. Trust me, I know.
The important thing is you are doing something about it. I’m sure you get mad at yourself for letting your body get this out of shape, but life happens. You have made a huge accomplishment by not having a soda in over a month, and those small changes are huge. I understand how hard it is, I understand how frustrating it is to not see results and I understand why you want to give up. Being healthy and fit takes so much time. As much as I wish you could wake up the day after a good workout with the 6 pack of your dreams, that just isn’t the reality. If being healthy was easy, everyone would do it, and it wouldn’t feel so good when you got there.
Remember how last January your resolution was to get back in the gym and get healthy again? Think about how incredible you would look right now if you would have stuck with it. The great thing is that you can start any time, and you can prove yourself wrong.
Tired of starting over? Then don’t give up.
You are only as strong as your mind. You will get there one day. Just be patient and keep working.
Nothing worth having comes easy. If you want abs more than anything, and one day you woke up with them, it wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as watching your body get stronger.
Mental toughness is half the battle. If you think you are strong, and believe you are strong, you will be strong. Soon, when you look back on the struggle and these hard days, you will be so thankful you didn’t give up.
Don’t forget that weight is just a number. What is really important is how you feel, and that you like how you look. But girl, shout out to you for working on loving your body, because that shit is hard.
By Bonnie Smith for Odyssey