Changing my "why?"

Why did you start your fitness journey? Or why haven't you started your fitness journey?
This question has or will undoubtedly come up at some point along the way.

When I started my fitness journey, I wanted to loose weight. That was my end game. Literally, I thought I'd loose weight and start living an ideal life. In my mind, loosing weight would change everything including my love life and income.

While that mind set got me started, I quickly learned there was no real end to weight loss if you want to maintain it. I had to change my line of thinking as well as my way of eating. It was a real mind f*ck. Smaller pants did not manifest a loving partner or a better job. Believing in myself did.

Losing weight is more of a mental game than anything else because losing weight isn't a final destination. It was not until I got where I was going did I realize that the real work was just beginning.

Committing time to workout, to meal prep, to pass up on the things I want to eat and choose to eat the things that will fuel me is a daily struggle. Not allowing myself to think of food as "good" or "bad" or to feel guilt after eating something high in calories is a constant battle.

My reason "why" had initially been to loose weight. Then my "why" was to keep the weight off.  My "why" now is to remain comfortable in my skin while maintaining my health. My workouts might not be as intense as they once were but I still make an effort. I listen to my body and rest when I'm tired, go hard when I can and appreciate the freedom to move without limitations.

I call it a journey because of what I learned along the way.  Everyday is a chance to choose health. Some days it's easy. Some days I want to stay on my couch with a bag of Doritos. I take it one day at a time and give myself the balance I didn't initially understand.