Progress, not Perfection

The year was 2009. I was a young mom who lived far away from family and friends, but found a small gym that I could call "home." It became my safe place, the staff became my surrogate family, and I was there twice a day Monday-Friday and sometimes on Saturdays. I was eager to make changes, but I had no idea where to start.

I made some really awesome newbie gains that first year. I trained a couple hours in the mornings and came back in the evening for cardio and abs (and for the free babysitting).

I also ate fast food for most meals, drank heavily every night, was in a very toxic relationship, slept maybe 4 hours a night, and hated myself. At one point I was at an incredibly unhealthy weight. I thought that if I couldn't be perfect at something like my nutrition, why even try?

Fast forward a decade. I was trying so hard to be perfect. Have the perfect body, the perfect diet, the perfect workout. I became obsessed with the scale and with calorie counts and macro percentages. But I was still only getting around 4hrs of sleep a night, working out 7 days a week with no rest or deloads, and wondering why I wasn't getting the results I really wanted. My mental health was in shambles by the summer of 2020.

I did some soul searching (and found a great therapist). After figuring out that the lifestyle I was trying to perfect was not, in fact, healthy, nor was it sustainable, I decided to try a different approach. How could I make progress without getting stuck on trying to be perfect?

I've learned a lot these last two years.

I've learned that food is fuel and I feel better when I'm not restricting what I eat everyday. It's okay to be flexible with nutrition.

I've learned that the scale is just a data point and has zero bearing on my self worth.

I've learned that sleep is awesome and started prioritizing better sleep habits. I turn off phone notifications at 9pm, have a wonderful little nighttime routine, and have slowly trained my body to sleep closer to 7+hrs a night.

I've learned that planned rest days are a necessity that have actually helped me push through plateaus and hit more goals. You don't build muscle if you never give your body time to recover.

I've learned that checking in with myself is a must, especially when I'm busy and feeling overwhelmed. Understanding what is going to help me feel better by asking questions and answering them honestly - am I hungry? Dehydrated? Exhausted? Overstimulated?

And I've learned that I can't do this alone and sometimes I need help. I've built a support system and have a group of knowledgeable people I know I can turn to when I'm unsure of what to do.

My motto this year is "progress, not perfection" and I am a living example of that. Are you going to do all the right things on your first day of trying? Probably not. Should you give up if it isn't "perfect"? Definitely not. With every client, I like to stress this: we are looking for signs of progress, I do not expect perfection.

If you're ready to ask for some help, shoot me a message and let's get started on your progress!