Like most people, the hardest part about working out is finding the motivation. When I played volleyball, my motivation was found in my love for the game. I never had to be in charge of putting together a personal workout plan. Instead, I had coaches that handed out schedules from August to May, followed with intense summer workout programs. Since I was 13, I never had to think about the types of workout or how much cardio I needed to complete for that day, I just did whatever fitness regimen coach had designed for us to do.
Now that I am a retired Division 1 athlete — Setter at Elon University— I took some time to rest my body. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I binge-watched Netflix (not that I wasn’t doing that before, and not that I won’t continue to… I mean, have you seen Grey’s Anatomy?!) and I wasn’t feeling bad about it. For those of you who are or have been athletes at a collegiate level, you can probably relate to this. Every second of rest is extremely valuable and unforgettable.
After my long period of continuously binging on Netflix, adopting free-spirted eating habits, and lots of needed rest, there
came a time where I hated the way my body looked. There were rolls in places that I would have never imagined them being. I would walk up a flight of stairs and be out of breath. Blame it on the large bowl of Queso I ate in one sitting (s/o to Elon University’s Qdoba). Not that I didn’t love every second of not having a care in the world, I was just so used to having my body look a certain way, and it was hard accepting the way it is now, post-volleyball days.
Then I started my “real life adulting” job. While doing that, I had every intention of working out, but as any newly college graduate would feel, life can get extremely overwhelming. Finding the time, energy and will power to hit the gym after a long day of earning that coin was and continues to be a struggle.
***Side note: Let’s not forget that one thing that is always there for me at the end of a tiring day, that helps me unwind and destress, my nice glass(s) of wine!
Let me just break it to you straight, I have yet to master my fitness life. I have yet to figure out a consistent way to stay fit and active, but I want to figure it out alongside you guys! I want to share all of my daily fitness struggles and failures with you, as well as my success and triumphs. If I happen to stumble upon a specific workout that I love and really works for me, I’ll most definitely share it with you. I want to go through this fitness life and learn and struggle together! Let’s motivate each other, cry with each other, stretch out those sore muscles that tell us we be workin’ hard baby! I want to do it all with you guys so that way we are never alone. I can’t wait to start this health and fitness journey with y’all!
Sydel, Oh my goodness, okay so we kind if have some similarities. While I never played any sports, I worked retail, and with all that heavy lifting; walking back and forth; and standing on my feet, that was my cardio. Just like you I was used to my body looking a certain way and then suddenly, it all changed. All through high school and my first couple of years in college, I maintained the same weight. About a couple months of me quitting retail, just like you, I ate whatever and did whatever, and then that’s when I noticed I began gaining weight, my favorite pair of jeans have now become snug. Fast foward 1 year, more of my clothes started to fit tighter and tighter; that’s when I knew, okay I need to get up and do something which I did. I started going to the gym every weekday at 5am when they opened; I stuck with it for just about a month, but as you already know, trying to be active is difficult plus I had no accountability partner. Fast foward another year later, I can no longer fit any of my clothes properly, and still to this day I haven’t accepted how I look; I stopped wearing makeup; wearing my heels; and taking selfies/pictures and post them on the gram (which is something I used to do all day everyday) it has now come to the point where I find it a bit hard to stare at myself in the mirror because I simply lost control and cannot stand to see anymore changes with my body. But when reading this post, I really felt a little relieved that I am not the only one who basicaly struggle with not just fitness but body image to. My goal is to learn how to love my new body for the time being and more importantly love the person in it. I just want to thank you for humbling yourself and share with us your struggles and tips and so on, it really means a lot and I look forward to reading your posts in the future! Xoxo
Thank you so much for the comment! I totally agree with loving your body at whatever state it is. Obviously we all want to look good and what not but its all about to living a healthy lifestyle while also still enjoying life! Our bodies are different from one another and changes during time. but we can do what we can to love the body we have been given! XO
Sydel you sound like me. I try to stay in the gym but it’s so hard. I start over on my diet every week. I need tips to get back to working out and eating right.
Coaching volleyball has got me wanting to play some pickup volleyball. The urge to play gets more intense the more I coach. We both know volleyball isn’t much cardio tho and dependent upon position it’s really not much of a muscle building sport. So I’m trying to figure out how to get into cardio like I used to be in hs. I haven’t figured it out. The only thing keeping my waistline decent is low carbs and a pescatarian diet:( classes at the gym remind me too much of practices where the instructor is the coach and they just push me to do things I don’t want to do. I also tried reprinting off my college weightlifting card and doing it at the gym
This Site Is Dope💓 Keep Yo Head Up
Keep it going girl! Staying getting and staying healthy is process. I plan on doing blogs similar to this! Very inspirational