Transformation Tuesday: Progress Not Perfection

For a long time I did things the unhealthy way. I worked out way too long at the gym, ate whatever I want and when I ate really poorly I would workout longer at the gym. I was thin, I was fit but I wasn't remotely healthy. I was obsesed with the scale and knowing my weight. I couldn't stand when it went up. I defined my actions by what it said. It was a waste of time and energy.

When I put on the weight last year, I knew I needed to do something. I went back to my old ways but it wasn't working anymore. So that's when I decided to try a challenge group. I couldn't get any worse and figured it was worth a shot. That is where this journey all began-by far my best decision ever. I started with the 21 Day Fix and lost the 10 pounds I had gained. I had a ways to go to gain my strength back but I was on the right track.

Then I started to add in a program called Piyo to improve my core stability and strength. It really helped me to focus on getting lean. I start noticing though that I wasn't taking my nutrition seriously again. I learned something very important during this time. It's not about reaching perfection. It's about progress. We are always a work in progress. Do I always eat clean 100%- No. Do I cheat some days and just enjoy snacks- YES! But when I start to deter too much it really holds me back from achieving my goals.

I realized that I needed to be pushed in a different way. I remembered doing Insanity in college and hating it. I remember wondering how could Shaun T stay in the air for so long. I remember thinking he must be defying gravity or something. BUT what stuck with me was the fact that everyone that did Insanity got great results. So I took a huge leap and tried Insanity Max 30. Day one I thought I was going to die. Day two I ended that 30 minutes laying on t

he ground and then day three came and something clicked. I pushed hard every single day. By day 30 I had seen serious results and I was really getting lean. By day 60, I noticed so many huge changes I was shocked. I didn't just get great physical results. I noticed something in my mentality changed. I felt like I could conquer the world.

Then the holidays came and even though I was working out and not indulging like I used to I was ready for another challenge. The 21 Day Fix Extreme had been released a couple days before I was finished with Max 30 and so I ordered it in hopes to continue pushing forward. Currently, I am working through this program and testing out both nutritional plans. This program is no joke. It is for those who are ready to shred, ready to be pushed and really commit to their nutrition.

This has been a serious journey over the last 8 months. I have be on top of my game and fallen off the wagon hard. Being healthy is truly always a work in progress. We have to have balance, we have to take care of our bodies to achieve our goals but we have to also enjoy life. We cannot punish ourselves and we cannot starve ourselves. We must love ourselves and realize we need t focus on progress not perfection. We are not meant to be perfect and striving for perfection is only going to enable us to fail.

When you decide to set your goals, when you decide what you want to get from your workouts. You have to have yourself in mind and that is it. Stop comparing yourself to others. Look in the mirror, that is your only competition. Learn that you should grow daily and with that means we will fail but the difference, the true transformation comes from what you do when you fail. Do you give up? Do you throw in the towel? OR do you push forward? Do you keep giving it your all regardless of the outcomes?