One of my most popular posts was my rant about fitness that I wrote back in January. In that post, I wrote about my fitness journey, which I had embarked upon just a few months before, and the means for staying motivated through good active wear and good people. Today marks around about a year since I started getting serious about my fitness and health. I found it only fitting that I write a follow-up post talking about my progress. And let me tell you, there has been progress.
I have more or less stayed consistent with working out since the end of August 2014. I try to work out every other day, at least three times a week. As you may have read in my last fitness post, diet isn’t much of a concern for me–I haven’t changed my eating habits that much because I f’n love eating junk that’s bad for me, but I’ll talk about that a bit later. There are actually a couple of important points I feel I want to go over, so idk let’s just get stuck in.
1: My weight goal
For the past 7 years my weight has alternated between 54-58kg, but now I have finally reached my weight goal of 52kg. There are many MANY things I could say about the number on the scale, the most important being: it doesn’t matter. In hindsight, I have only really lost about 3 kilos in what has been a whole year of exercising, but I acknowledge that a lot of it is built on muscle mass replacing the fat that I have shed. It is so important to know your body type. Tall people will be heavier than short people, muscular people will be heavier than skinny people, and everyone is a babe. For me, my body type is short, small, but naturally muscular. Even as a baby I was super chunky. I also have wider and heavier hips than the average girl my size. Taking all these into consideration, I recognise that I will be heavier than a lot of other (especially Asian) girls who are 5″2. This is why even though a lot of people who are my height or even taller maybe be under 50 kilos, I couldn’t care less, because I recognise I have features they don’t. Comparison really is the thief of joy, so know your body, identify what your realistic, healthy goal is, and fight for it.
2: Diet
Okay, laydiez (and gentz), let’s talk food. I already briefly mentioned that I didn’t make any huge dietary adjustments, and that’s true, but I did make some conscious changes. If you asked me a year ago to eat a salad I probably would’ve chortled and reached for the pizza. I don’t like leaves. But just to be brief about healthy eating–it’s definitely an acquired taste. Your body and tastebuds have to adjust to the more bitter flavours. If you want to eat healthier but just can’t get over chewing greenery, invest in good salads. Seriously, cash in a little extra for a restaurant or cafe that you know does good salads instead of trying to make your own little crappy replica (if you are inexperienced in the art of leaf-eating, like me). Once you acquire a taste for these well-done salads, your tastebuds will slowly get used to those new flavours, and soon enough, every now and then you’ll actually be craving a salad for the refreshing and replenishing feel it gives your body!
So… ya. I thought I had more to say, but I actually think that’s it lolz. I’m not saying that my journey is complete–it definitely isn’t. I’ve reached my weight goal, yes, but there are still areas of my body that I know could be improved, and even when I get my optimal body, I know that at that time there will still be things to work on! It’s always a process, never complete, so don’t be discouraged, but always push on. Here are some before and after pictures from my post back in January, and now.
I hope my fitness journey has encouraged some of you. I know I say this a lot, but I’m one of the last people I ever expected to be writing posts like this, so if I can do it, you 100000000% can too!!
Go kill it & stay trippy,
∙ vienna ∙
benna 