Why I haven't Given Up Yet....

Lately I have been getting a lot of requests to share what workouts I am using and any other tips I have that have been aiding in my weight-loss. I plan on sharing my favorite FREE workouts in another post, but today we are talking about why I haven't given up yet. So far I have lost 36 lbs. I started my fitness journey in February, when I was diagnosed with PCOS, and it has been quite a journey over the past few months. This is the longest I have stayed with working out, since I had children. I use to always make excuses and let other things take priority over my workout time. I was notorious for sticking to something for about three weeks and then deciding it didn't work for me. I would give up because I would get discouraged. I have been asking myself lately what made this time different. Why haven't I given up this time around? As I've pondered this, a few things have come to mine.

The first thing is that I wanted this. I had been hating my fitness level for a long time. I had gained an extra 50 lbs after my brother died and my miscarriage. I felt lousy. I had no energy and was really depressed. I hated feeling that way. When I went to my doctor to come up with a game plan, I was told I had PCOS. I never thought I would say this, but PCOS had been a blessing in disguise because it has pushed me to make time for me. It has pushed me to make my health a priority. I was sitting by, letting my life go by and I didn't want to do that anymore. I wanted to be enjoying life, not just enduring it. Life is beautiful and should be absolutely enjoyed!

The second thing is that my mind set is different. Before I wanted to lose weight for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to lose weight because I felt that was what people expected. I mean you have kids and you lose the baby weight right? Well for me that didn't happen. I tried and tried, but struggled. Little did I know that I had PCOS then that was not helping me. I also wasn't working out. I tried to just diet to lose weight and that is not how my body works. I need exercise. Not only does it relieve my stress, but it is what my body needs. This time around, when it came time to lose weight and workout, I changed my thinking. I wasn't going to focus on calories or how much weight I lost a week....I was going to focus on getting healthy. I finally realized that healthy looks different on all of us. For some of us that means we are a size 4 and for others is doesn't. Realizing this was mind blowing. It set me up finally for some success. I tried to put healthy things into my body, but I didn't beat myself up over the fact that I had a cookie every once in a while or a slice of cake....we all know I love me some cake :) I focused on healthy living and getting active. I started off slow. If I slipped up, no worries. I dusted myself off and kept trying. Remember you only fail when you stop trying. Never forget this.

Stacia, who I follow on Instagram, always says that you must remember that it must start in your mind, and move to your heart, before it can reflect in your body. You have to want it, then believe it, then work hard to achieve it. It is all about mind, body, and soul. This has been a great encouragement to me.

The last thing that has helped me not give up, is I let go. I carried a lot of emotional baggage. I wasn't eating junk for no reason. I ate like crap because I was dealing with a lot. Grief can incapacitate you. Once I accepted why I was eating and living the way I was, I was able to change it. I had to let go of the grief, which is really hard. I have a Savior who loves me and knew what I was going through. That was a great strength to me. Dealing with infertility was really hard too and again it was through my Savior and my sweet family that I was able to get through that hard time. Another thing I did was get rid of negativity in my life. It is amazing how sometimes we have people in our lives or things that do not encourage us. I made sure I had only good things around me. I believe that all of this has helped me this time around.

I have found a love for healthy eating and have found balance. I still deal with grief....I still deal with infertility....and sometimes I have ugliness around me, but now I know not to turn to unhealthy habits when that stress hits. I have been trying to make lasting, good habits. I'm not in a race to get to a certain number on the scale. I am taking it a day at a time and making sure I get active and treat my body like the gift it is. We have been given this life and we should respect it. We need to respect ourselves and love ourselves....because when you do amazing things can happen :)

XO Danielle