November 13, 2010

• What They Didn't Prepare You For (Pre-Workout Mindset and Preparation)

  

  As someone that's just starting to workout, I know that it's hard to get started. Throughout my high school years I was about 20 pounds heavier, with a low self esteem, and a mind that was set on failure. The moment working out got tough, I got discouraged and I wanted to quit...which is sadly what I did until now, my freshman year of college.

  With all of the health and high school gym classes I took, they prepared me as far as eating right and exercise could go. What they didn't prepare me for was how to think. Many people might think that if you really want something it's easy to accomplish. That's however not true for many people like myself. It's only human nature to get discouraged, and have your moments of weakness.

  What made me finally want to get out there and workout and be healthy was a change of my mindset. People made their jokes about me being "fat" or saying things such as "you're cute...but not pretty" which was pretty upsetting to me. Whether they were joking or not, I'm not sure but it was a wake up call. I realized, that I wasn't happy about myself. I knew that I didn't eat healthily, and my lack of movement made me squishier than I preferred. All of that made me really want to work hard.
  
  So here's what I did....
  
  1.) I told myself, wishing I could have that body I've always wanted wasn't going to get me anywhere. I had to change my lifestyle by eating better and exercising more.

  2.) I let myself know that I wasn't going to be able to accomplish anything unless I really tried my best...and if I tried my best than I could accomplish all that I wanted.
  
  3.) I started writing down all of these things I wanted to accomplish, starting from easiest to more difficult. (It's said that if you make a list, crossing those that are finsished motivates you to move on to the next step.)
  
  4.) I told all of my friends and parents when I was going to workout. That way, if I felt like not going through with my word, I felt like a liar furthermore motivating me to just do it.
  
  5.) I always remind myself that once I get to where I want to be, I'll be proud of myself with a sense of accomplishment.

  Basically, I just gave myself positive reinforcement. I stayed optimistic, and remind myself that accomplishing each little thing will give me a confidence booster with a sense of pride.

   

  • 3:02 pm
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