Hello HC Fitness Readers!
I just got back from my week long Easter which I spent break traveling up to the very top of the South Island of New Zealand to an area called the Abel Tasman National Park. It was beautiful, and the whole trip was filled with nice sandy beaches, hot weather and gorgeous sunsets.
I would be lying if I told you I ate perfectly healthy over break, because frankly, I did far from that. I must say, I felt a little guilty about it. However, today when I walked into the gym and decided to pick up a magazine to read, it just so happened to be an issue of Cosmopolitan that was dated from exactly a year ago, April 2011. Unfortunately the Otago gym isn’t exactly good at replenishing there magazine collection, but this time it worked completely in their favor.
I was incredibly pleased after reading the article! On the front of the magazine it read, “Cosmo Campaign: Say No To Fat Talk! Help End Body Bashing.” Intrigued, I opened up the magazine and read the story. It might not seem believable, but immediately after reading it, I felt rejuvenated. I gave myself a huge pat on the back for being at the gym, cut myself some slack for some unhealthy eating over my holiday, and ended up with one of the best and hardest workouts I have done in weeks!
Why is this? The gist is, be good to yourself! I am completely guilty of not giving myself a break when I have eaten poorly for a few days – i.e. over Easter with a few too many Cadbury Eggs. But is it really worth it to get in such a fuss? No, it really isn’t! I notice my workouts aren’t as strong, and I tend to eat less healthy if I put more pressure on myself to snag those unhealthy habits quickly after these vacations. But as the Cosmo article maintains – and what I feel is essential to being healthy – is to look inward and realize how wonderful and beautiful you are. It sounds so cheesy, but it is so true! Keep that positive attitude going and it will give you this boost of self-esteem that will help you feel ready for those workouts, I promise.
I had first gone to the gym feeling a little tired and not exactly ready for a strenuous workout, but when I picked up the magazine and read the article I had this idea to plan a workout that I could do for the next few weeks, that would really challenge me, but I knew would make me feel fantastic by the end. I went to this workout with a new attitude, ready to conquer it, and I did. I would highly suggest you do this. Plan a workout, a hard one. One that you know will challenge you, but in your head don’t think “this is too hard, I’m not going to finish.” Instead, go with a mindset where you continuously tell yourself “I CAN do this!” It will make a huge difference.
I am looking forward to my challenging workout tomorrow. Sitting in my bed, I can honestly say I am sore, but is it worth it? Totally. Even just after today, I feel more confident, knowing I can challenge myself and achieve the goal I set out to do. So for this week, write down a hard workout, tell yourself that you are great, and go out there and do it! I know I can, and I am 100% positive you can too!