One Year At The Gym: What's Changed?

Hello Everyone!
I did it! March 9th marks the day I joined a gym and even though I had my own self-doubts about sticking to a fitness program, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. This post isn't going to be about my weight or anything like that, but rather how my thinking and life outside of the gym has changed. Any gym-junkie will tell you that working out is about a lot more than just staying fit.

Confidence on fleek
Do people even say that anymore? Anyway, getting fit and conquering challenges has done wonders for my self-confidence. I'm braver when it comes to trying new things and I don't care what others think of me anymore. I'm not scared to try new fitness techniques (because it can be a little scary when you start) so I'm always ready for whatever is thrown at me. It helps in all aspects of my life and whenever I need a boost of confidence I know I can just hit the gym. 


I crave challenges
I was such a wimpy kid. "I can't do it!" was basically my catch phrase. I wasn't much better in my teenage years, but something clicked when I started running and I actually began looking for challenges. Whether it's aiming to run a half-marathon (check!) or planking for longer than a minute, I love the thought of conquering something I never thought I could do. Nothing seems impossible to me now.

I became the badass woman I always wanted to be 
I was surrounded by every kind of super hero growing up: Power Rangers, Mighty Ducks, Superman, Karate Kids...you name it and I ran around with my brother pretending to save the world. That all stayed with me as I grew up and it really played a part in the kind of person I wanted to be. I know I'm just at the gym lifting heavy stuff or punching a bag, but to me I'm training to be as awesome as possible. And potentially survive the Hunger Games if I had to.

Positive Influences 
Sometimes I like being at the gym just because everyone there is working on a better version of themselves. Those are my kind of people! Also, I can't tell you how lucky I am to find the personal trainer I did. He always seems to be two steps in front of me and knows what I want out of a workout.
He also happens to be one of the coolest people I have ever met in my life, so when he tells me I'm a total badass, I know I'm doing good.

I'm interested in nutrition
Gym life really is a doorway into a healthier lifestyle and it's changed the way I look at the foods we eat. With a new appreciation of my body, I want to make sure I'm fueling it properly and that I'm getting the right nutrients. These days I'm all about my whey protein and super-foods, which a big change from a year ago. I genuinely enjoy learning more about nutrition and how it works with your body.

I embraced my body shape
One thing you notice when you live an active lifestyle, is how different everyone's body shapes are. It's not a judgmental thing, just an observation that everyone has different strengths to work with. For me, I'm short and stocky (a family trait on both sides I couldn't escape) but it means that I have the thighs for long-distance running and strong arms/shoulders for boxing. I'm also lucky enough to have small waist that gives me an hour-glass figure. I have my faults too, but instead of moaning about not having Taylor Swift's long legs, I just focus on enjoying the shape that I have. 

I'm happier : )
Definitely most important change of all. This didn't happen right away of course, but there were a lot of stressful days that were saved by a sweat session at the gym. When I quit my full-time job and started committing the time to my fitness, my mental health improved immensely and I was jumping in the car to come to the gym each day. I think I always needed to become active and find what I loved to do in order to be the best version of myself. I don't make excuses anymore, I set goals then smash them, and my body rewards me for it. I've never felt more like me than when I committed to my fitness and fell in love with it.



I still can't believe how different I am now, compared to who I was a year a go. My PT says this to me all the time and he's right. Pursuing blogging definitely played a major part in my change also, but my fitness was crucial too. As long as I have my gym time and this blog then life is good : )

Here's to another year of working hard and smashing my goals. Who knows where I will be next!

How has fitness helped you? I'd love to know!

Steph x.