Nearly 365 days since I reclaimed my fitness journey. I say reclaimed because I have always enjoyed being fit, but this time it was on my terms. 365 days of ups and downs through a global pandemic; children remote learning, working from home, and most importantly time to pour into the things that mattered the most. Creating new rhythms, by healing my inner spirit and strengthening my physical body.

What I discovered for the first time ever is that I do not work out to be “skinny”.

I have lost nearly 40 pounds, which is nothing to sniff at.  However, there is something much greater than the pounds lost and muscle gained. My mental state and self-confidence are the reasons I continue to workout. Finding quiet pockets of time, usually early in the morning to be with myself. I noticed a sharp decline in the last few weeks as I was letting myself slip out of routine. Letting the busyness of  kids, school, and work take precedence and just a few days back into the the game has been the reminder I needed to keep pushing.

I have followed Katy Hearn on Instagram for years. Downloaded her app years ago, attempted to start a routine many times but truly just let it sit there. I let the day to day bog me down. I let the negative thoughts stay and occupy my heart and headspace. Fast forward to March 2020, I knew I wasn’t going to make it if I didn’t start putting myself on the front burner. The busyness, the hustle was no longer an object. There were no excuses.

I took the leap, enrolled in the coached version of the Spring 2020 Fit by Katy Challenge. An 8 week, strength training, cardio, and macro tracking fitness program. When I first started my workouts were over an hour long! What?! I felt totally and utterly defeated. I could barely finish with many, many modifications along the way. With the help of Coach Rachel, guiding me with weekly checkins for my macros and pushing me to add intensity to my workouts I dropped 10 pounds in that first 8 weeks and gained confidence I didn’t know I was lacking.

Other things during those 8 weeks I began to notice were; a change in my posture, my muscles were starting to reappear, and relearned how to properly fuel my body, all which lead to an extreme boost in my mental state. I could not be more thankful for this journey. Most days of 2020 were the darkest, loneliest days I have ever faced. Yet, there was an overwhelming peace inside that all started by putting myself first. Learning how to thrive as a woman, wife, mother, and friend by concentrating on my mental and physical health.

There seems to be this notion of needing to be thinner, needing to look a certain way. I am here to encourage you to look deeper. It’s not about being skinny. It’s about feeling confident in your own skin. It’s about loving your body. It’s about focusing on the inner parts of your body and spirit to help bring out the person you were meant to be.

Don’t let the day to day stop you. Make time for you, to make you the best version of you. I promise, you will notice the effects pouring out into every relationship and situation. The inner healing, the self-confidence, the relationship with yourself and others are always worth it.