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When I first started my health and fitness journey, I went in with an all or nothing mentality. I was extremely focused on aesthetic goals and soon became tired with the cycle of beating myself up when I didn’t see a certain number on the scale, or when my body didn’t look a certain way. I was in need of a SERIOUS mindset refresh and some self-love.
Over time, I finally shifted my perspective on my body, training and food. For the first time in my life, I started to respect my body for all that it does for me. I began to focus on lifting heavy AF, fuelling my body with what it needed, and enjoying my life more. I am writing this blog because I know so many of my #LSFbabes have been, or are currently going through something similar. With the below tips, I want you girls to broaden your perspective, like I did, and look at the bigger picture of your health and fitness journey. This might be the hardest part of your journey, but believe me SO worth putting the time and effort in for.
It is time for ALL my girls to start appreciating all the things that they ARE instead of ARE NOT.
Set Non-Aesthetic Goals
Setting non-aesthetic goals was an absolute GAME CHANGER for me! Whether it be hitting a PB, increasing the intensity of your workout, or nailing your step goal - try setting yourself a goal that has nothing to do with aesthetics. Write your goals down and hold yourself accountable. Walk into every session with intention to work towards that goal. Girls, I can guarantee that hitting your non-aesthetic achievements will bring you far more satisfaction than looking a certain way ever will. I have made a large component of my BIKINI x STRONG 8-Week Challenge about mastering your mindset and learning to set these goals!
Positive Self-Talk
Be mindful of the way you speak to yourself - your body can hear you. You need to be ready to fight back at that inner mean girl at all times. Use the power of positivity to show that mean girl who’s boss! One tool that I found really useful was writing out daily/weekly positive affirmations about myself. Put these somewhere you can easily read them, so you can be constantly reminded of the QUEEN that you are.
Embrace the Journey
You may have weeks where you feel like a goddess who has progressed so much, and others where you don’t feel/see any changes at all. Girls, I want you to remember that no journey is linear. Focus on winning one day at time and embrace your body for where it is right now. Whether you’re shredding fat, building muscle, or maintaining your current physique - working towards body composition goals is a long process. Your body is inevitably going to go through changes and you progress through different phases of nutrition and training!
If you are in a building phase and you are seeing the number on the scale increase – stop for a moment and think about the positives of this.
Are you sleeping better?
Are you getting stronger?
Have your mood and energy levels improved?
Try writing down the positives that you notice in a journal or your phone so you can refer back to them at any time!
Ladies, looking good is a byproduct of feeling good! Remember that health is all-encompassing and there is far more to it than just aesthetics. I hope these tips will help you on your journey to bringing a little bit of self-love into your every day! I am SO proud of how many of my #LSFbabes have chosen to BUILD the BIKINI x STRONG Challenge! Mentally, learning to put on weight can be such a challenge for SO many girls.
But believe me, learning to love who you are at any shape or size is where the REAL glow up is found!
