Looking Fit and Being Fit.

As I sit here and begin writing this post, ironically, I'm eating a homemade brownie.... and guess what? I'm enjoying every. single. bite!

The topic of looking fit VS. being fit has been on my mind for a while. The thoughts I'm about to share with you all, are things I wish someone would have shared with me when I began on my health and wellness journey.

Have you ever caught yourself peeking at your stomach in the mirror wishing for a six pack? Felt frustrated due to hard work being put in, and the results coming at a snails pace? Scrolled through social media coming across photos of others who have the ultimate "beach body" and thought, GOALS? I sure know I've been there, and it's not the most happy feeling.

Why has it become so easy for us to want what we don't have? Why is it that society has instilled this idea in our heads that we need to look a certain way, or be a certain weight? Why can't we just be happy being who we are, the way we are, if we feel good!?

I'm here to tell you that you are still fit if you exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, EVEN if you don't have that 6 pack to show for it. While I'm saying 6 pack, what I truly mean is the image that society has dubbed as the definition of "fit", someone with a slender, muscular appearance. Versus someone who is built bigger and typically looked at as one who is "unfit". Ever heard the terms "skinny fat", and "fat and fit"? Basically these terms are used to explain that someone who is skinny, may not necessarily be healthy, and someone who is considered overweight isn't necessarily unhealthy. Fact of the matter is, size doesn't mean a thing! If you are taking care of yourself, that's all that matters! Your body, is your body and you should love every piece of it!

Let us have a little story time...

I set out on this journey looking to get healthier. This consisted of me wanting to incorporate a little exercise into my life, which then lead to healthier eating choices. Little by little I saw changes in my body, changes I had never thought would happen. I became obsessed. The fact I could make physical changes to my body by feeding it better foods and exercising was intriguing to say the least! There's a quote that says "once you start seeing results, it becomes an addiction." This was truth for me. I went from workout program to workout program to keep my body progressing. I took part in multiple nutrition eating "challenges" ( what I called them back then) aka diets (what I realize they are now). I was doing whatever I could to get my workouts in, and eating clean foods, not so much considering the enjoyment factor. At one point I took it upon myself to count my macros using an app on my phone called My Fitness Pal. Macros = macro nutrients such as carbs, fat and protein. Counting macros consists of choosing a number of calories, and a percentage of fats, carbs, and protein that you consume every day based off of your fitness goals (lose weight/fat, build muscle). In order to be accurate in tracking this information, you must weigh/measure ALL your food, and enter the amounts into the app. The goal was to stay within the calories and percentage for macros each day. I did this for a while. It became a regular part of my life. Before every meal I would pull out the digital food scale, plop my food on, and enter it into my app. I would stay away from certain foods because it was too hard to track it, and if I ate out with friends or family the stress that came with not knowing how much fat, protein, or carbs were in my meal was ridiculous. It got to the point where I would travel with my scale. Cause ya know, you've got to keep it up, even on vacation... I'm telling you, I did WHATEVER I could to stay on track. I did all of this, because my end goal was the "perfect" body, a body that physically showed my hard work of eating well and exercising often. I thought that if I didn't have a 6 pack, then those around me would judge me, and question why I worked so hard if it didn't actually show.

Thinking back to this now, I question why in the world I ever had this mentality, and I know that the ones I surround myself with would never think such things. However, while I realize this now, I know that I'm not alone in having these feelings. Haven't you ever felt the need to do something, simply because you thought it was the right thing to do, or what society wanted you to do? As humans we often feel the need to fit in, unfortunately this comes with making changes to who we are, rather than accepting ourselves as we are.

Luckily, I was able to see that while the goal was to be "healthy" this way of doing things was becoming unhealthy. SO, I made a change. I decide to let go of the numbers, stop wasting time weighing my food before every meal, and start truly enjoying what I was eating. I took on intuitive eating, which is what we as babies are all taught to do. Listen to our bodies cues. Eat when we are hungry, stop when we are content. My focus now a days is to fill my plate with as many colors as I can at every meal, eat mostly whole foods, and indulge in sweet treats whenever my body wants it! I workout regularly because I LOVE the way it makes me feel, and I rest when my body gives me signals that it's tired. While I do all these things, I still don't have a 6 pack to show for it... but guess what? I am so much happier. I know that all the things I do are benefiting me, and while I may not have the so called "perfect" physique I absolutely love my body, and I sure as heck consider myself a fit chick. ;)

Moral of the story is.......

If you know that you're doing the right things to benefit your health, even if you aren't the physical definition of "fit", you are STILL fit.

Now, I'm not dissing on counting macros or taking part in exercise/nutrition programs. They are a good guide, especially when getting started, and when being used for short term progress. Everyone has the right to do what they want to do. If this is something you can take part in, not become obsessed with, and still enjoy life, then that is great! Personally, this didn't work for me. It led to an unhealthy mindset where I was obsessed with my physical appearance, depriving myself of certain foods because they didn't fit in my day, and just not truly enjoying all that my life had to offer!

Some things to take into account....

1. Genetics come into play

I learned in school that some people, no matter how low their body fat percentage is, won't be able to see a 6 pack. Our rectus abdominus has tendons which run along it underneath our skin. Some people have tendons dividing their rectus abdominus into 6 parts (6 pack), others could have 8,4,2 or NONE. Depending on genetics you could potentially work your butt off with the goal being a 6 pack, to find that it's genetically not even possible! Phew! MY days working for a 6 pack are officially over ;)

2. Doing all that's required to appear "fit", isn't always realistic.

I'm sure most of you have seen someone who has competed in a body competition. ( if not google it)  Those who do this go through a very strenuous process to get to their most perfect physique in order to perform. This is a temporary process. Maintaining a body like this, unless your genetics are crazy good, is a very challenging task. It comes with lots of sacrifices. They have to go on a very strict diet, and exercise a lot. Something that is possible short term, but long term can have serious health effects.

Therefore, go for whats realistic! Accept the body you were given. Eat foods that nourish your body, while also allowing the foods that nourish your soul. Take part in physical activity, and know that by doing these things, no matter your appearance, you are indeed FIT!