Working out is not only something that I have come to love but I have also neglected it at one point. This is an important part of our lives and we sometimes forget about it. I think it is safe to say that most of us, if not all of us have dealt with issues of weight. I will talk about my journey with weight and how I have come to self acceptance. I will also address my daily workout routine.
BODY IMAGE
Body image is not just something that we encounter everyday, but it is also a journey that we have to go through. As a child I never had to worry about what I ate. I ate all of the junk food that I could get my hands on. As a teenager, body image became more and more apparent to me. A teenage girl goes through a process when it comes to accepting who she is. Before I got to high school I hated the way that I looked. I was stick skinny, and the other kids began to take notice. I would often get nicknames like, girrafe, Wilt Chamberlin and daddy long legs. I know it isn't something that I should wrap my head around but for a child it is very bothersome. I began to only wear pants and avoid clothing that showed my legs. As I got older I started to play sports. This was the best thing that happened to my self esteem. I started focusing more on my skills and achievements and no longer fixed on what others thought about me. In high school I excelled in cross-country and I began to adapt a daily workout routine.
When college came around it was a different story. I was more focused on my studies. For about half a year I did not exercise, and ate junkfood for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I didn't notice that I gained weight until I went to a family member's wedding. Someone came up to me and expresssed how well I looked because I was a little fuller. That night I thought about what that woman had said not in a negative way but i realized I have not been exersing like I should have.
The week after, I went on a cleanse. i needed to bring my metabolism back to where it needed to be. My goal was to lose the 15 pounds that I had gained over six months and to find a way to be stable with my diet. I was also beginning to get involved in modeling so I knew that I had to get back to my regular routine. I lost those 15 pounds in a couple of months but it was not easy.
MY WORKOUT ROUTINE
Over the years I have developed a routine that always brings me back where I need to be. exercising is not something that I religiously do everyday. I have now perfected it and often recommend it to friends.
- Make sure that the exercises you chose are safe for you. Sometimes people overestimate themselves or compare themselves to others. It is safe to go with your own speed and to start out slow.
FOOD
I have been a vegetarian for about six months now. I read about how meat can be hard for the body to digest so I decided to give my system a break. I eat fish as well so that I can get protein into my body. I have not cut off meat completely, I eat it once in a blue moon. Eating vegetarian has made me be more aware of what i put into my body.
- Always make sure that you have a balanced diet when exercising. I space out the times that I eat and make sure to follow them. For me the best times that I have found most beneficial to eat are, 8AM, 1PM, and 6PM. I have a fast metabolism so I eat at these times to get my body use to my routine. It is also important to stay hydrated so that your body can function throughout the day. Besides the regular 8 glasses throughout the day, I drink an additional glass of water when I wake up and a glass before I got to bed.
RUNNING
I encourage a lot of people to run when they can because you do not need to go to the gym. Running is free and you can run basically anywhere. I advise that you get proper running shoes and if it is too much, start out by walking. also make sure that you pick out good times to run like morning or just before sundown.
- My routine consist of running 4 days a week
- For two days I run 2.5 miles which takes me about 20 minutes
- For two days I run I run 6 miles which takes me about 50 minutes
- It is important to alternate the distance so that your body doesn't get use it. When your routine becomes predictable your body will not work to burn as many calories as it should.
- Make sure to have fun and chose a place that is not distracting. I also listen to music to motivate me more.
- It is also important to take breaks so that your body can regroup and relax.
YOGA
Yoga is something that I have stopped doing over the years due to my busy school schedule. I am now starting to get back into it and it is very rewarding. Overtime I have noticed that flexibilty is something that people gradually lose due to work, being inactive and stressful daily lives. Yoga works to increase flexibilty and uses breathing exercsises that calm the body. I have noticed that I have more flexibilty and I feel better and better everyday. It is also a good way to elongate your muscles because I do not want to build too much muscle.
- I attend a 60 minute hot yoga session for about 5 days a week
- When I cannot attend a studio session I do it at home for about 30 minutes
ABS
Abs are important because your core strength contributes to the well being of your whole body. I give abs their own concentration because they can be hard to target.
- I use an 8 minute abs routine that I found on Youtube.
- This routine works best for me because it targets all the areas that I want to workout, especially that stubborn lower belly.
- I have enclosed the video below, it is quick and easy and all you need is a mat to lay down on.
WEIGHT
Weight is not an issue for me anymore. As long as I am eating right and exercising my weight will stay at a consistent level. When weighing oneself, avoid using a scale simple use a measuring tape to to set a goal on how many inches you would like to lose. When I focus on a number I have noticed that I fixate on that number rather than my progress.
HAPPINESS
It is important to be happy with who you are. I don't exercise to look better I do it for my health. I have come to accept my body and it is important to me that I stay healthy. My routine should not be adopted by everyone because we all have different needs. There are weeks that I go without exercising and it is important to stay on track.
