The struggle of begining

Thought i would share a journal entry I wrote day 3 of my healthy life.

May 3

What I know for sure!!! Healthy living isn't easy. For some, it comes naturally, but for some people especially those like me who are already overweight—large enough that it's difficult or painful to do what thinner people can do—it's tough and even tougher to get started.

3 days ago I joined a health challenge at work, although I suck at the app I have committed to a healthier life style.
Yesterday I decided to exercise. I don't know how many years it has been, but I do know as I struggled to do a few squats and crunches I began obsessing about how fit I used to be. My negative, beat yourself up mentality almost equated to me giving up before I finished. After I had a bit of an ephipany and and realised this mentality is why my health is where it is today. Then I remembered an article I read about selfcompassion

This may perhaps be the single most important thing that will ensure my success: Approach everything I do from a place of self-compassion. It may sound silly, but there's hard science to back up the idea.
"There is a very scientific reason to this. If you come from a place of guilt, then you exhibit a fixed mentality rather than a growth mentality. Any slip ups that you have along the way are therefore viewed as a character failure. Research shows that self-compassion, however, allows you to think of exercise with a growth mindset—as a skill—something that will improve and you can build on".

Replies

  • JaKaelaMommy
    JaKaelaMommy Posts: 2 Member
    Jillian Michael's has some beginner DVDs called frontside & backside. I struggle to exercise (less now then I did 3 months ago when I started). I really enjoy them because she tells you how to modify the workouts according to your fitness level. I have pains in my left knee alot because of all the weight I am carrying. So having the guidance to know how to modify workouts that are just a little to hard is great. You can find them on ebay or Amazon for less than $10 (Think I even found one for like $4.88). The most important thing to remember when working out, is to keep moving and keep your heart rate up, the movements dont have to be perfect. If you do that, and stay under your calorie goals, you will succeed!!! I've lost 33 lbs in 3 months. Best of luck to you!