I am a Work in Progress
Time for some tough talk! The year has started, but have you? Maybe you made some resolutions but never put them to paper let alone execution. It’s time to be real with yourself and ask the question, do you care about health and fitness? If you don’t, you can stop here. If you do, continue to read.
An overriding obstacle for many people is not having the confidence in themselves to succeed. You don’t need to be judged by anyone, and you don’t need their approval. Your choice for your fitness program is personal and what makes you feel good and happy.
Years ago, I went to an aerobics class and lasted one session because I felt so embarrassed that I couldn’t keep up. When everyone was up, I was down, and I couldn’t didn’t catch on. So, I did what many of us do and returned to my comfort zone.
In this month’s post, I chat with Marlena Williams who shares stories from the beginning of her journey which has not yet ended. Marlena can be intense because her passion will come out and it is real!
She told me, “I want the reader to know that I am a work in progress. Working out has helped me with a lot of emotional and childhood trauma. Don’t give up on yourself. What better project to work on than yourself?”
Many of us will reach a point where something triggers us to make a change, and for Marlena, that came after her 38th birthday. “To be honest, I didn’t like how I looked naked. Crazy but true,” she said.
Marlena had doubts. “I wasn’t sure if I would really be able to push myself to see change or to keep up with the routine,” she said.
As with anything new, there is a period of adjustment for most people. “When I went to my first CrossFit class, I was very insecure. The workouts looked foreign, and I was the new person. After about four or five classes, my personality started to come out. I was getting used to the people, and the environment was friendly and motivating,” she said.
Marlena currently does CrossFit classes three days a week, and if she’s feeling good, she will do a Saturday morning class too. CrossFit is a timed or scored activity with a variety of functional movements such as pull-ups, squats, push-ups, weightlifting, running, and a host of other movements.
So far, she has set her immediate goal. “I want to be healthy overall. I’ve struggled with fibroids and diabetes, and I don’t want that to catch up with me down the line. Making the change has been a good thing for me. Now I won’t say I don’t snack or eat pizza, but I am more conscious of what I eat and how often. I eat much cleaner, cut out soda and juices, and do more water and veggies. I don’t have a goal weight—I would like to just work on me. That’s the goal…working on me.”
But, there are challenges to face: “Staying motivated in the colder months has been a huge challenge for me. Being able to branch out and work out on my own has been both a challenge and a goal.”
Marlena explains how being on a program has been emotional: “It’s absolutely emotional for me. Prior to getting into fitness, I would consider myself to be lazy when it came to my health and fitness. My motto was, you might as well be fat and happy because we’re all gonna die of something. While that is true, it’s an ignorant statement. Why not be healthy? Why not want to have a better life experience?”
There are days when her workouts don’t match her goal: “To this day I get discouraged, but it is mainly when I work out on my own. But I have to be easy on myself. I must give myself time to learn the science behind certain exercises and compound workouts and what muscle groups to target. So, I just keep pushing forward.”
The benefits to date have been both mental and physical: “It has helped keep my ADHD and anxiety pretty balanced. And physically…well, let’s just say I lost 27 pounds, and I feel great.’
But, there is a deficit in maintaining the focus: “As of right now, I need a coach. I don’t have enough knowledge or skills to get myself through a full workout.”
Marlena comments on competition: “There’s nothing wrong with friendly competition, but initially, I was competing for all the wrong reasons. I didn’t want to be last after a run, or I didn’t want to be the last person doing push-ups or whatever exercise. So, I would cut corners or shortchange the exercise, not realizing that I am cheating myself. So now I compete only with myself.”
The outcome of her hard work will be determined by Marlena. “I would like to continue to keep up with my fitness for as long as I can. I enjoy it, it gives me energy, I love how I look, and health-wise, all things are at the right levels,” she said.
What did she have to give up to get this far? According to her, nothing. “I didn’t have to give up anything. I made working out a part of my self-care journey. I made working out a priority for me.”
There you have it. Marlena has a goal, backed up with a plan, which is fueled by her passion and commitment. The accountability of the outcome is on the shoulders of Marlena as she continues to lift herself into the future.
