It’s no secret that a healthy lifestyle is what we should
all go for, but there is still a disconnect even in 2015. I have a couple of reasons for writing this
today: First of all, to remind the seasoned gym-goers to be kind to the new
people and secondly, to tell the newbies why they should really be working out. In
other words, you shouldn’t be working out because it’s January and you want to
look good in a bathing suit. Your
reasons should go deeper than that, but if you want to roll your eyes, I understand,
as long as you just keep reading….
Why seasoned
gym-goers are really irritated with new people…..
I will be honest. I
have been irritated in years past by the swarm of people who decide on January
1st to work out. The reason
it irritated me is that I knew 95% of them wouldn’t be around in February and
they were just congesting the gym and impacting my life. Well, contrary to popular belief, we (human
beings, myself included) are not allowed to
be assholes and we need to remember to inspire people, not isolate and
intimidate them just because they are annoying us. People who are new to the gym are searching
for what we have already found and what we already know about. Let them.
Encourage them. The other reason
I used to get irritated is because I wanted people to understand what I
do….taking care of your body and working out isn’t a fad, it isn’t about what
you look like naked, it isn’t something
to forget about next week— it is a way of life.
Taking care of myself is a religion and when I do something bad to my
body, trust me, I am repenting and quite literally paying for it. I am no longer physically capable of eating
crap or I get sick. I am so in tune with
my body that I can feel the slightest abuse.
To everyone who acts like an ass to someone else in the gym,
remember that the world would be a much better place if everyone were
experiencing endorphins. Welcome
them. The guy who just cuts you off on
the road and gives you the finger maybe wouldn’t do it if he were 50 pounds
lighter.
To the newbies, put your weights back when you're finished with them, don’t socialize,
don’t crowd people, and be mindful and learn gym etiquette. If you need help, ask someone. Get a plan or
a trainer if you don’t know what you are doing and most importantly, remember
not to pay attention to the arrogant pricks snarling at you. You have a right
to change your life.
My philosophy, what I
do:
When I say this, please take it the right way because as a
girl, I don’t like to talk about my body in fears that someone will take what I
say, no matter what I say, the wrong way.
Anyway, I have had two sets of twins and I get a lot of questions about
how my body went back. While I will
admit that genetics do have somewhat to do with how you look, I also tell the
truth: I work hard in the gym, I don’t
eat shit, and I don’t expect to get something for nothing. I love my life, I love my energy, and I
choose to live life with a fire under my ass, even when I am exhausted. I believe that God wants me to take care of
myself so I can do whatever it is he wants me to do. Everyone is special, and everyone should take
care of himself or herself so they will be here as long as they can.
I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I do one thing, every day, all year
round. I try to stay balanced, which
includes juggling about 50 things every day and it’s hard. Finding balance is the key to life and it is
the hardest thing that you will ever do because it is ongoing, but it is the
most important. My body, my mind, my
spirit—they are all connected and the real reason I care about what I put in my
body and work out is not so I will “look hot”, but because my soul and my body
are connected and I want them to reflect each other. I am aware of everything
going on in my soul based on how my body feels and I know what’s going on with
my body because of the thoughts my mind is thinking and the emotions I am
feeling. I care about the kind of person
I am, I care about what I do in my life, I care about the energy I put into the
world and how can any of that be positive if I feel like garbage?
I read “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed last week. Basically, the book is about a woman grieving
the loss of her mother and her identity.
She is extremely lost in her life and she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail
in hopes of healing and gaining some clarity.
I was in a bar last week having one of my way-too-deep-for-a-bar-talks
with a friend who also began reading the book. I told him that something stood out to me
while I was reading the book. I said that I find it interesting how the body
can find emotional healing through physical trials. This is why I love yoga so
much. I have always been active and I
was taught how to eat well, but not until the last 5 years did I really start
to understand how our bodies, minds, and souls are all tied together and that
everything we eat, everything we do, everything we think and say, is all tied
together. We are all tied to each other,
God, and the earth. The reason I am so
into yoga isn’t just to stretch, but it is because something happens to
me. I feel aligned mentally, spiritually
and physically. I know when something is
off and I can pinpoint what it is that is bothering me. When I push myself in a workout to the point
of nausea, I know I have released frustrations and tension and toxins. When I put good foods into my body, I am able
to do more physically in the gym and therefore, my thoughts and mood and energy
is all better. We are so connected,
everything we do has a domino effect and it is up to us whether the continuous
downfall is good or bad.
My Food Rules:
Michael Pollan wrote the book “Food Rules”. If you can get your hands on it, read
it. He says something so simple and true
and it’s what I live by. FOOD IS
SUPPOSED TO ROT. I don’t eat well because I am “supposed to”, I eat well
because I want to, because I love my body.
I eat well because food serves only one purpose……it is fuel,
period. 95% of the food I eat will rot
if I don’t eat it. The other 5% is
protein powder or bars (which I limit), and the treats that I eat
occasionally. I do not diet. I do not deprive myself. If I want a brownie, I eat one. I eat so well though, I will notice ridiculous
amounts of salt for days and I will get stomachaches from nasty foods and that
is what inevitably happens to you if this is your way of life. This is actually good, by the way. God put everything we need for our bodies on
the earth. I don’t eat anything that I
have to peel out of a package or that comes in a box and the fewer ingredients,
the better. Don’t eat things with words you can’t pronounce. That pretty much takes care of your diet if
you live by that. The food industry
sucks ass. I call them “white collar
mafia” and you should take their power away by eating food. FOOD.
Not crap.
Go hard and always
challenge yourself.
If you want to see a difference in your body, you have to
sweat. If you aren’t in shape, get a
trainer or start out slow. I am not a
fitness instructor, so I refrain from giving advice, but I know that you have
to sweat and push yourself or you are wasting your time. Yes, it will be hard at first, but then you
feel like you are meditating when you are used to it and you won’t be able to
live without it. Then the more in shape
you become, you fine-tune your goals.
For example, I am about to train my hamstrings so I don’t overuse my
quads, which are most definitely dominant.
I may have just said “today is leg day” five years ago.
Personally, I don’t like machines. I also do what I want, but I move pretty much
every day. I go to yoga, I climb
mountains, I go to TRX, I have learned to love the nauseating and evil thing
called Tabata, I dance, I go rock climbing, I lift weights and I never force
myself to do anything I hate, like for instance, running. I never go easy unless I am sick or injured. Whatever I do should hurt. I challenge myself, I am never “there”, and I
listen to my body. And when you feel like you are bored, burning
out, or not seeing a change anymore, change what you are doing, again and
again. Pick specific goals and refine
them over time.
My main goal is to tell everyone this: YOU WILL FEEL BETTER if you adopt a healthy lifestyle for the right reasons,
I promise. I will message anyone who
messages me and be encouraging to anyone who needs it. I will also point you in
the right direction if you are looking for info that I am not qualified to help
with. My trainer is A-MAZ-ING, if you
are looking. I can do pull-ups and LORD
I don’t even know how many push-ups now, thanks to MEGAN PETERSON!! I love you, Megan!! And seriously, my bra size went up and my
arms are completely different in the last 9 months….how is that for motivation?
-britt
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