Dear Body,
I’ve loved you 25 pounds ago and I love you now.
– Simone
This year I learned I can love something and still want better for it. So I started working out and eating healthy. Most people would look at me and think you’re a small girl, who doesn’t need to work out. While I wish that were true, I was very out of shape. And to be as transparent as possible, I ate like trash because I was never taught healthy eating. Growing up with black parents who cook cook, we didn’t count calories, we ate heavy meals and on lazy days fast food was king. It was all I knew and I had a fast metabolism so I stayed thin. Until after college.
I moved out of my parents’ home and Devante and I moved in together. Two post grads struggling with new jobs, schedules, budgets and best of all not knowing how to cook, especially not healthy meals. Of course, a salad here and there was consumed but a salad loaded with ranch, bacon, and iceberg lettuce doesn’t do much nutrition-wise. So hence I ate whatever we had. Happy relationship weight is real and I loved it. I gained a lot of weight. My boobs were huge (RIP DDD’s) and I thought I was thickkkk.
It’s not until you see pictures of yourself and you can’t fit any of the clothes you have, that you realize that maybe it’s time for a change in lifestyle. I wasn’t happy with how I looked but I didn’t care about the number on the scale either. So I made the decision to start a fitness journey. This was October 2018.
I started alone, occasionally hitting the gym in my apartment complex. Aka sitting on the exercise bike for 30 minutes and still eating whatever. I saw no progress and I gave up. Then I started again. Same routine. Same failure. I needed help and I knew I needed an outside source to hold me accountable.
Meeting My Trainer
I tweeted that I was looking for a trainer, a woman, a black woman. I needed someone I could trust who knew our bodies. Someone I could be comfortable in front of failing but who would push me to be greater. I was introduced to India via Instagram by a high school friend and I was 100% sold. India’s Instagram is lit! Check it out here.
I sent her a DM, asked her rates and from there I had a trainer. India may look sweet and nice and — she is but she is also tough on you. She saw my potential and never gave up on me. More importantly, she never let me give up on myself. I started off working out with her once a week. Learning techniques, new workouts and how to have proper form. My form especially was something I couldn’t teach myself. She even introduced me to new ways to approach food. I’ll always be forever grateful for meeting her because even when I couldn’t walk the next day, I knew my body and mind was on the path to being more healthy.
From December 2018 until May 2019, I worked out with India every week. I would go to the gym alone 2-3 times a week alone and do the same things she had taught me. I wish I could work out with her more often but I had to make financial decisions that put a pause on training with her.
Doing It On My Own
One thing I learned from India, don’t worry about the scale. Taking photos every month allowed me to actually see my progress. I saw parts of my body slimming down and gaining definition. I also started to record my workouts and add them to my IG Story Highlights! So be sure to watch those if you want an idea of my start. It dates back 27 weeks- and counting!
Since the middle of May, I’ve been consistently in the gym 3 times a week, alone. I use what I learned from India and now that I feel comfortable alone, I can go into the gym and kill an hour workout. One SUPER helpful tip was to use Instagram as a reference. I search for fitness hashtags and follow people with the body types I’m looking to achieve. Saving their workouts for later, I use social media as an inspiration.
Leg Day is my favorite. It works out the legs, of course, defines the booty and even helps flatten my stomach. So those are my go-to workouts. I hate cardio but it’s an essential part of losing body fat so I run on the treadmill when I need to get my heart rate up.
Honestly, going to the gym is one of the highlights of my week. It’s an escape physically and mentally, releasing stress and tension. So if you’re looking to find a way to get that hot girl summer body you always dreamed of, all it takes is consistency. I started last year and I’m JUST now feeling confident to share this with you all. If I didn’t give up, I know anyone can keep pushing for their best selves.
