One Year Lifting-versary!

It has been approximately one year since I began my full commitment to well-being. This time last year, I was happy with my lifestyle improvements. I had, as attested by this blog, already began working on my journey towards healthy living. Overall, I was happy surrounded by good friends, having a blast starting my first fieldwork experience, and enjoying life in Kalamazoo. There wasn't much to complain about, but I knew I was in a rut of contentment.

There was that nagging feeling of dissatisfaction. Something was missing. Deep down, I knew I wasn't committing and pushing to be the healthiest person I could be. Try just one more time, right?

Starting the journey was difficult. It was full of fatigue and winey words. Excuses and procrastination. There were many times when my mind would throw in the towel long before my body needed to. One more rep? I couldn't possibly!

KT kept me accountable and consistent through talk and text. She was my gym buddy, my partner in crime, the one who pulled me into the weight room. She is now back in God's Country and... I MISS YOU! COME TO OHIO OR I WILL COME TO THE UP! /rant.

Then, over time, I saw improvement. I was grabbing the 15s instead of the 10s...then the 20s! I wasn't losing my breath as often. One more rep? How 'bout two?

There were certainly some humbling moments along the way...

• The bench scooting away and nearly putting me into a split during Bulgarian lunges. How do you even bail out of that? You fall. It's not graceful. And dumbbells are louder than you think.

• Falling backwards during squats with dumbbells. Started into a backwards somersault. Thought I was going to whip out a sweet ninja move, but got stuck halfway, bum in the air.

• Trying to rack my bar after squats and just bouncing off the front of the squat rack instead. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, backwards. That one woke KT up.

• Mid-leg press, I thought I could hold in my fart. If it was going to come out it would be quiet, right? Wrong. Not silent, definitely deadly.

And you know what? All of that was okay. Humiliating? Sure. Hilarious? You bet. Laugh it off and move on. Honestly, they're all little rights of passage in the end. No one is perfect in the beginning, and you need to expect there will be fumbles along the way. These moments are there to remind you to focus and push yourself towards improvement.

Today, I feel better than ever. I'm so happy with where I've pushed myself physically, mentally and emotionally. Lifting and leading a healthier lifestyle, especially when food is concerned, has changed me for the better. I'm still making mistakes, I still have farther to push, and I'm still learning. In fact, the learning will never stop - that's the exciting part! I can't wait to see where lifting will take me from here.

So cheers!

To year one and many more to come.