GUYS. Folks. Ladies & gentlemen. People.
DARE I SAY—the system works.
(I KNOW. Who would have thought.)
[It’s really exciting.]
How do I know?
….and no, I haven’t gotten on the scale.
Two things.
1) I feel stronger.
Check this out: I went for heavier weights during In the Mix. WHAAAT? The chick who could never do a push-up went for heavier weights.
Speaking of which, I actually do push-ups now. Like, two or three in a row. And I don’t look like I’m breakdancing into a worm. Turoff even complimented me.
And, I looked at a picture taken of me at a party and saw definition…in my ARMS. WHAAAT? Well, the other person that looked at the picture didn’t see it—BUT I DID. And THAT my friends, is what you call a tricep. And now, I may casually flex in front of Brian in the kitchen, while I’m cooking…like I’m competing at the Arnold...but without a spray tan.
And…here’s the weird one…
2) I look forward to workouts.
Like, I plan my whole day around them, what I’m eating, how soon I’m leaving for work…it’s like I’m making it priority or something. pick jaw up off floor
It feels weird to not move my body everyday now. And, when I do, I want to move more. Take the pups out for a longer walk, jog to the appointment instead of drive, bike to work, sub that extra class. Take a class that isn’t planned on the TREAD schedule.
I don’t even know who I am right now.
Don’t get me wrong. I remember having done that in my past life. Before shit got hard. But, never did I ever, think I’d be back to loving and needing this. I thought what went down was a game changer. I’m thankful to say, it wasn’t.
And, I can’t remember the last time I went for a Kit Kat.
Ok, I can. But only because I really love Kit Kats. Not because I recently had one.
Ok, I had one eight days ago. That isn’t recent, right? And I gave one piece to my fiancé.
So, really, I just had a few bites. They’re small. And delicious and perfect.
My point being, I’m starting to look at food as fuel.
I want to put better things (yes, I still refer to kale and lean ground turkey as ‘things’) in my body to perform better…and so I don’t pass out or get sick, on Gabe and Nicole, during The Course. They’re nice people. They don’t deserve that.
I want to go to bed earlier so I have more energy and a better attitude for class.
I want to officially resign my position on the justification train.
Endorphins are flowing.
Now, that’s not to suggest that I’ve figured it out.
HA. Not at all.
And here’s the secret—no one has. We’re all moving on this sliding scale. No one arrives, at a particular destination, and is just finished.
"I'VE MADE IT TO FITNESS! TO STRENGTH! THE SECRET SERUM OF LIFE."
No.
We all go through seasons and changes in our life.
If you’ve had a hard time getting in the rhythm of workouts, I get it.
And it is absolutely no sign of who you are.
Don’t put yourself in a box with a label.
Be kind to yourself.
Keep taking baby steps forward.
Wherever you are in your journey—whether you’re an every morning SOS-er (holy shit you’re amazing) or working up the courage to get to that class (holy shit you’re amazing), note the micro-progress.
And celebrate the hell out of that progress.
Be kind to yourself, to those around you, and let’s do this together.
#thesystemworks
Also, thank you guys so much for your e-mails!
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Follow-up from the last blog on tips: Wanted to highlight a very important tip from one of the loyal blog readers and SOS Tread members:
Hit a snag…having some knee trouble. Swollen and painful. So, usually I ice, take some Advil, and keep going. That hasn’t helped. Actually took the week off from running. Not what I usually do. Not easy for me to do that. Hoping new shoes, inserts, and a week off I’ll be good to get back at it…my advice is to listen to your body. I’m no spring chick but this is the first time in years I have taken time off…I’m still lifting but am really trying not to push it with my knee…appreciating a healthy body is another piece. No matter how slow you go, be thankful!!!
YES. YES. YES. This is everything. Listen to your body. And be grateful. Thank you! Thank you!
If you have more tips, thoughts, let me know! emily@systemofstrength.com