A year and a half ago I started my weight loss journey with one goal in mind; drop 40lbs. I was at my wits end with my body; not only the way I looked, but the way I felt. I embarked on my transformational journey at the start of 2019. This journey was not just about hitting the gym, it was also about adjusting my eating habits and keeping the wine bottle corked. I was no stranger to a workout but I was taking in more than I putting out and so I needed to shift more than just my diet, I had to shift my mindset. It didn’t happen overnight but I surely did lose those 40lbs and was suddenly feeling better and more happy than I had in years.
But now what? I have always been driven by the desire to meet my goals and now that I had lost the weight, I suddenly found myself less motivated to head to my workouts. I discussed these feelings with my trainer and we set new goals, this time it wasn’t about losing weight, it was about getting stronger. I was now on a journey to gain, but this time instead of gaining fat I would be gaining MUSCLE! Those initial workouts were surprising to me, I was in the best shape of my life but my muscles still lacked the power that I was seeking. Most of the year, my workouts were cardio based, we had been focused on burning fat quickly, but now muscle groups that had long been ignored, were being engaged and strengthened daily. It was then that I set my eyes on an exercise that had always seemed just out of reach for me; the pull-up.
The pull-up is defined as raising oneself with one’s arms by pulling against a horizontal bar fixed above one’s head, but it might as well be defined as IMPOSSIBLE. I was getting stronger, easily completing pushups and planks that had seemed unreachable at the start but the pull-up still eluded me. Every work out felt like a tiny step towards reaching my goal, my biceps started to look more and more defined, but the thought of those same muscles being able to pick up all my body weight seemed still so out of reach. It took almost two months of slow progress, but then one day I sensed I was ready and BOOM! IT HAPPENED! Looking back at my journey, I feel a deep sense of pride knowing how far I’ve come, while remembering that this road I’m on to feeling better is a lifelong one.
I wish you all your own personal victories and hope one day that you too have your own moment where you lift yourself up and out of whatever is holding you down.
