We’re all on a journey to look and feel better. We go to the gym to lose body fat, gain muscle mass, trim our midsection, lift heavier weights, and build the machine that our bodies are. Most of us get sucked into the thoughts of, “I don’t like this part about my body” or, “I wish I had that” when you look at someone else’s physique. Consciously or subconsciously, I think we are all guilty of that to some degree. Hey, even myself sometimes too! We're all human.
But we have to remember that working out and having the ‘goal’ body that we strive towards should only be one small part of our life and who we are. It should enhance our lives, not dominate it. Do you actually enjoy this journey of a better (however that looks to you) body? Of course we should hope that the answer is yes, but sometimes we can feel like we ‘have’ to go to the gym, which is really not always a good thing.
It’s one thing to have abs, quad separation or rounded shoulders, but if you’re battling related mental health issues, eating disorder patterns, frequently restricting your food intake or only working out for the sole purpose of being about to eat X amount of calories afterwards, I think we need to step back and reevaluate some areas in your life.
Exercise should be fun and rewarding, never punishment. That’s absolutely ok to have ambitious goals and to work hard towards them. And yes, some days we are programmed to go to the gym when we don’t really want to get out of bed. Those days happen. But they should be rare, not daily or weekly occurrences. Your self-worth or amount of self-love/respect should not be determined by your body image; that’s when we forget about what really matters.
From the outside, my coaching principles look like it’s all about building a lean, dream body. And for that most part, that’s usually what it is. But when you get inside and begin working with me and following my protocols, it’s so much more than that. It’s a total well being program, focusing on what you and your body really needs: respect, nourishment, energy, and wholesomeness. The muscle growth and fat loss almost becomes a bonus after time.
What really matters in this journey is your confidence; being able to own your body and love it, no matter what it looks like. It’s about more weight in the gym and not less weight on the scale. It’s about learning what your body can do, not just how it looks. It’s about loving and embracing your flaws because that’s what makes you, YOU. It’s about not comparing yourself to someone else’s social media highlight reel and all the quick-fix gimmicks, because you know the truth. It’s about empowering others so that you can build yourself up at the same time. THAT is what really matters. Because at the end of your life, no one’s going to remember you as what your scale weight was or the size of your waistline. I hope you can take this reminder and apply it to your life daily. Share this with someone who needs it. Bookmark and save it for later. Want more inspiration like this? Be sure to subscribe to my newsletters for frequent blogs. Check out my full website for more: courtneyforlife.com