I’ve officially entered my gym girl era.Â
I began my gym journey this summer, when I finally got a membership at the closest gym to me in July. I had been putting it off for months — it was something I had talked about doing ever since I returned home in April. To cut myself some slack, I didn’t start my job for the summer until early May and wanted to wait a few weeks to get a sense of what my work schedule would look like before making the commitment. Once that mental deadline passed, I kept putting it off due to nerves. I’d become used to going to the gym alone at the ARC, but felt anxious about the idea of going to a new place where I didn’t know anyone or where anything was. But I forced myself to bite the bullet, and I’m so glad I did.Â
Soon after getting my membership, I became addicted. I watched so many videos on TikTok and Instagram, trying to find the best exercises to incorporate into my routine to work towards my ideal results (if anyone was wondering, it’s to get those glute GAINS). Thankfully, I’ve stuck to a consistent routine with progressive overload, and have noticed a difference in my glutes over these past 4 months. I wonder how my results will look going into the new year, after 6 months of starting this journey. I’m very excited to compare photos from July and December to see the progress I’ve made!
I’ve also gotten into changing my diet a bit. Whenever I have breakfast at home, I make 2 over easy eggs with protein oatmeal. I never used to like eating eggs. And whenever I get breakfast on campus after an early class, I usually go to Starbucks and get either the double-smoked bacon, cheddar and egg sandwich, or the spinach, feta and egg white wrap. Both are fire, I highly recommend either. I’ve also officially entered the protein powder club. During reading week I went to Costco with my mom to get protein powder to put in my smoothies, and I’ve really been loving it! It thickens my smoothies so that it almost feels like frozen yogurt, and it’s nice to make as a snack for when I’m hungry but don’t want to fill up right before dinner. I recommend the LeanFit whey protein powder; I have mine in vanilla, and it’s probably the best powder I’ve ever tried. I avoided using protein powder for so long because every one that I tried had a chalky or powdery texture, but this one is very smooth. I also want to get more into cooking as I’ve been too reliant on pasta since second year, but that will develop with time. At least I’m eating a proper breakfast now!
Another thing I love about this new hobby is that it’s just so fun for me. It’s an excuse to wear cute outfits and see potential gym crushes. I always look forward to going right after my last class of the day; I get to put my phone on DND, and tune out anything stressful going on in my life (so, school) and just focus on this one thing. Nothing keeps me more motivated than feeling good, listening to my badass gym playlist (that consists mostly of male rap) at max volume, and getting an amazing pump after. I don’t think I’ve ever been as disciplined with anything else as I am with this. When I used to go to the ARC casually, I would take advantage of any excuse not to go – being on my period, awful weather, having assignments coming up. Now I go regardless of any of these things. It’s hard to break out of a habit when you become so used to it, mentally and physically.
If there’s one thing to take away from this article, it’s that I definitely recommend going to the gym. There is an abundance of articles that talk about how beneficial working out is for your overall health and wellbeing. You get some alone time, and you feel good after – what’s not to love? Honestly, my only regret is not starting much sooner. I’m excited to continue and see how I progress over time! :)   Â