Getting into the habit of working out can be difficult. Between unrealistic goals, discomfort, and misconceptions about the gym, everything can seem overwhelming. After working out for over a year, I've had a few realizations that have been total game-changers when it comes to improving my fitness that may help you overcome any hesitancy you have towards incorporating an exercise schedule into your life. Through refocusing my aim, celebrating reasonable victories, and effectively motivating myself, I've come to love my body in a more understanding way that emphasizes health, comfort, and strength! Here are the things I've learned:

1. Losing Weight Is Not Always The Goal

Too often, people beginning to frequent the gym will step on the scale and become disheartened when the number goes up or does not go down enough. If losing weight is your initial goal, know that you can only lose weight to a certain extent before the scale will plateau as you gain muscle. This is not a bad thing — but it tends to discourage many that believe that physical change is reflected on the scale. When you’re going to the gym solely to lose weight, there is far less reward; therefore, it is very difficult to stay motivated and create a habit.

I’d suggest ditching the scale altogether and focusing on goals that empower you! There is nothing wrong with wanting to go to the gym for physical change, insecurities are valid and human; however, having objectives that focus on health, feeling confident, and being stronger is far more effective when you want to legitimately incorporate exercise into your lifestyle.

2. Diets And Exercise Do Not Always Go Together

Continuing on from the first realization, it is important to note that fitness is a lifestyle; however, there are varying levels of commitment that are all perfectly acceptable. While diets that limit calorie intake can provide results, they create an unhealthy relationship with food that not only promotes “cheating” or “binging,” but also hinders your ability to improve at the gym. Your body primarily functions off of carbohydrates, requires protein to build muscle, and can tolerate your favorite candy bars in moderation.

“In moderation” is the most important phrase when it comes to a diet that heightens your gym performance without dampening your everyday life. No, the number of Oreos you eat does not translate into a magical number of sit-ups you should do, but you should enjoy them anyway. Food is not a guilty pleasure, it is necessary for existing and for making lasting progress towards improved physical fitness.

Yes, if you are working towards a lean muscle build with low body fat, then diet is an equally important component in your fitness journey; this being said, if you are just starting at the gym and are focusing on strength over size, focusing on a balanced and nutritious diet is more important than a limiting one.

3. Focusing On Improvement Is More Rewarding

Natural muscle gain and fat loss is a slow process. Similar to weighing oneself, if you are not seeing visible improvement at least every week, sometimes you do not feel motivated to continue putting in the effort for such seemingly little payoff. Everyone who works out has been here and can totally understand, whether it be the abdominal cut that just won’t come through or the muscle gain in your thighs, sometimes it seems like nothing is changing.

There are many ways to combat this discouragement, one being to take weekly progress photos. Another pushes you to change your perspective on what a victory is by focusing on how your performance improves over time: how much heavier you can squat after a few weeks, how much easier three sets of burpees become, or in my case, how much farther I can run without having to take a walk break after a year of working out (three-quarters of a mile is my victory).

4. Working Out Is Great For Socializing

If you don’t feel one hundred percent confident pumping iron on your own, sometimes the best motivation is bringing friends to ease the pressure. With workout buddies, there are tons of opportunities to experiment with exercises as well as motivate one another to push yourself the extra repetition. Having friends join along helps you hold yourself accountable and is a great way to get started into a proper routine as it is harder to rain check on the gym when your buddy is already there!

5. The Gym Is Also A Great Place For "You Time"

As you become more comfortable in a workout regimen, sometimes socializing can be distracting, making you feel less accomplished when you leave the gym. If this is the case, it is perfectly okay to pop in some headphones and listen to some music or even watch Netflix while you run!

Exercise is a fantastic way to relieve stress and gives you a great excuse to spend time with yourself that you may desperately need after a long day of work or classes. Getting comfortable in your own headspace is not only an effective way to organize and simplify your schedule but is also a positive component in your mental health!

6. There Is More To Exercise Than Just Running

If cardio is not your speed (it surely has never been mine), then you should know that exercise is more than a track or a treadmill. Gyms offer a ton of classes, and if yours doesn’t, you can always bring the workout home with Pilates tapes or stretching. There are also great activities that help you stay more involved in your exercise such as cycling, kickboxing, or weight-lifting.

Another popular myth is that weight-lifting makes bodies look less feminine, which is absolutely misguided! By working certain muscle groups, a woman can easily retain femininity while strengthening her body at the same time. Not to knock on the elliptical, but some people (me) cannot go faster than 4 miles per hour, and by the end of a "That '70s Show" episode, they (I) haven’t even jogged a mile. If you are like those people (me), definitely give weight-lifting or one of those classes a go!

7. Nobody Actually “Fits In” At The Gym

It is important to note that nobody worth mentioning is going to judge you for going to the gym and crushing it, even if you are trying that Instagram workout that leaves you flat on your face. Honestly, most people aren’t even sure if they are doing things correctly themselves. Occasionally you might end up with a stranger’s awkward guidance, but if your form is improving, then so is your workout. Be open to converse with your fellow gym-goers and you will feel a lot more welcome amongst equally sweaty people!

8. The Weirder The Time You Go, The More Freedom To Experiment

When I first began working out, my friend and I would go to the gym at 6 a.m. sharp and follow a beginner-friendly workout guide. While this time was unnecessary, it forced us to develop the habit of making time for the gym and also got us in with the early crowd. As other gym-goers snoozed on abdominal machines, we felt a little bit more comfortable making mistakes and maybe not killing it like we had hoped — which is absolutely fine. Giving yourself the ability to try new exercises, and maybe fail, makes working out more of a challenge and less of a chore.

9. Research Is Unnecessary, But May Amplify Your Routine

After spending weeks to months at the gym, some routines may not get you as sweaty as they used to. A common mistake is to take this into account and not change anything, allowing your fitness to plateau. About every three to six sessions you do a certain exercise, it is imperative that you increase its difficulty to further challenge yourself. This is where research is great- if your side crunches aren’t cutting it for your obliques, then maybe switching to a different, more intense exercise will prove more effective.

At one point, I did not realize that leg day and butt day weren’t the same thing, so when my thighs grew into my glutes I did research on glute-targeting exercises that I could focus on to strengthen my glutes more proportionately to my legs (pro tip: hip thrusts). By educating yourself on muscle groups and area-specific exercises, you are allowing yourself to train for a body that is most reasonable for you rather than aimlessly squatting, and squatting, and squatting...

10. Eventually, You Will Be Obsessed With The Gains

Whether it be the thigh cut or the calf bulge, you will be feeling yourself. This is totally okay! You have put in the time and effort into your body and you should totally allow yourself to enjoy that. Just be mindful that increasing lifting weight is not always going to effectively increase your muscle gain, so stay motivated without risking injury!

11. Being Fit, Healthy, and Comfortable Is A Body Type That Varies For Everyone

Success is not necessarily total body transformation. Your body does not have to be the same as the fitness guru that you collect your exercises from. What is most important is that you are happy and more in tune with your body after every workout — because that is the biggest gain of all!