I used to be able to lose weight very easily. A little intermittent fasting and a few salads and I could drop 5 lbs EASY.
Every summer I’d indulge a little too much and then split the crotch of my white skinny jeans by the end of August (seriously, it’s an annual thing). Come September, I’d lose my summer fluff.
Then came 33.
For the last two summers I haven’t been able to drop those few extra lbs.
Now it feels like I gain 3lbs just driving by McDonalds.
I’m sure it’s a combination of my age, my anxiety meds, the side effects of the extra wine I drank in quarantine and COVID, but that’s where I’m at.
(I feel like I should also mention that I’ve also never been happier in my whole life. We can talk more about that later.)
I remember hearing other women say this is what happens when you’re in your thirties.
Your body changes and you can’t just bounce back the way you used to.
To be honest I thought they were just eating too much or not trying hard enough – but dammit they were right.
(I apologize. I was being very judgmental)
I’ve realized (with much resistance) that when you get into your thirties, your health and fitness strategy needs to change.
Your body just isn’t the same anymore.
You need to accept it and make changes accordingly (if you so choose.
THE BODY POSITIVITY MOVEMENT
I was reluctant to write this post.
I’m not a big girl. Even though I’ve gained 15 lbs in the last two years, I’m still relatively small.
In fact, in talking about this I risk receiving messages that I am “skinny” and need to just love my body. Without a doubt, someone will tell me I have no business talking about this topic.
I’m going to do it anyway.
My body HAS changed.
My once tight ass has a side of cottage cheese.
Things are a little softer than they once were.
Every body is different… size S, M, L, or XL we need to embrace our flaws, be kind to ourselves and not compare ourselves to the standards that society has set for how woman “should look”.
I’m on board with the body positivity movement – I think it’s an important conversation and one that shouldn’t stop.
I also struggle with some aspects of it.
YES!!! Every body is different
Women’s bodies change
There is a lot of pressure to be skinny
The media portrays unrealistic expectations
All of that is true.
But I also feel like some of the body positivity content going viral online is encouraging unhealthy behaviours.
For me, loving your body isn’t just embracing the new found cottage cheese on your saddle bags.
It’s fuelling your body and moving your body.
Loving yourself means taking care of yourself.
That’s what I’m focusing on right now.
I’m accepting my body is not what it was when I was in my twenties, while doing what I can to show up as my best in my thirties.
(anyone else not so secretly wish that they could have the body of their twenties with the mind of their thirties?)
To be completely transparent, as I come up on my 35th birthday, my hope is that 35 is going to be the best thing that ever happened to my ass. I’m on a mission to tighten up while fully accepting that I am not going to get those twenty year old glutes back.
Since I know I am not alone in feeling the way I am, I thought I’d share what I’m doing to … well… treat my body with the love it deserves.
HERE’S WHAT I’M FOCUSING ON:
This is where I’m supposed to write a big lost of all the thing I am going to do. Let’s not over-complicate things though.
Instead of depriving myself, or going on some extreme diet, I’ve just added 5 simple things onto my “to do list”:
1. Drink A LOT of freakin’ water (your skin will thank-you for this too)
2. Move my body for 30-minutes everyday (the Apple Watch has been such a great tool for this). This includes strength training, running and yoga.
3. 7-8 hours of sleep every night. (previously I would skip sleep to get things done)
4. Up the protein
5. Up the greens
Oh and a lot of squats too.
That’s all. It doesn’t need to be complicated. I’m not going to stop living my life.
Lastly, nothing inspires me to workout more than some cute workout gear. I just did a haul from Lululemon – here are my favs!
A FEW OF MY LULULEMON FAVS
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