Fitness Tea

Ok… be honest… do you love working out? Is it on your mind when you wake up and the last thing you think of when you go to bed? Do you crave the sweat and endorphin release that comes after a long hard workout? Do you love eating salads, lean meat, and no carbs??? Me either sis… me either!!! LOL While I don’t think I’ll ever love the idea or crave working out, it’s a necessary evil. I want to feel good; I want to look good, and I want to be in a good mental space. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that a daily exercise routine will help me achieve all of these goals. The problem is telling my mind to tell my body to tell my willpower to actually do the work!

There’s nothing more rewarding than fitting into those jeans that you haven’t fit in years or going shopping for a new wardrobe because you’ve dropped down to a size 8 from a size 14? What about the newfound attention you receive from strangers? Better yet, the attention you get from your friends and family as the start noticing the inches falling off. I love when people recognize anything I’ve worked hard for, but when it’s changes in my appearance or my new level of confidence… that’s a whole other level of “cockiness”!

So, what constitutes a good workout? It depends on what you’re into. Elliptical or stationary bike are my machines of choice for warming up and burning calories fast. Especially if I have my air pods and can listen to a good audiobook or my “Crunk Essentials”playlist (don’t judge me). I have a select few weight machines that I actually know how to use in the gym that I won’t look foolish on. I’ll typically do 3-4 sets of 10-12 on those (legs and abs one day/arms and back the next). For me working out absolutely sucks when I think about it, but once I’m in it I’ve found that I actually enjoy it! I remember a time right before the pandemic when I actually craved working out, (it was short lived (gym closed), but I’ve felt it… that feeling really does exist!)

As I’ve been told by every personal trainer I’ve had (only 4🤷🏾‍♀️), working out alone won’t cut it. “You’ve gotta watch what you put into your body T.” “Losing your stomach is going to be determined mostly by what you eat T!” blah blah blah…. I know all of this, but it doesn’t make it any easier to do what needs to be done to lose it. There so many “diet” plans and pills that sucked me in and I’ve learned quickly that’s not the answer. #1 I’m not good with taking/drinking anything everyday #2 I honestly feel like long term usage could cause more hurt than help in my later years (I’m still young and vibrant, 😬) #3 It's too expensive to keep up! It has to be a lifestyle change. I have to make it a habit to eat better, cut out the late-night eating (no more cereal in bed 😫), no large portion, cut out the sweets and some of the alcohol (yeah, I said “some”! A girl can have a good cocktail every now and then!).

At the end of the day I know I’m the only one that can make the change I want to see in my physical health. We have to hold ourselves accountable and stop making excuses for the changes we want to see in ourselves. It’s going to take sacrifices, but in the end, it’ll be worth it. People will start noticing and giving compliments, but best part is that you’ll notice the changes in yourself. That’s not anything someone else gave you, you did it out of sheer determination and commitment to be a better version of yourself! Nothing can top that sis, nothing!

What works for you? Spill your fitness tea sis!