Every time January comes around we always make the same New Year Resolutions: to get that summer bod. I ask for it every time. Do I get it? Not really. This year, however, I was determined to not get a summer body, but instead get healthier.
And if I got one, then that was great, and if I didn’t, then also great.
The whole point was to be healthier inside and out.
So when I saw the article, “Don’t Eat Like Sh*T And 8 Other Ways To Get A Perfect Summer Bod Like Mine” I clicked on it to see what tips were offered. There were workout routines, eating tips throughout the article, and talk about going to the gym 5-6 times a week. Which were all great advice…but very unrealistic for people.
We are all built differently and what may work for you, may not work for someone else. My workout routine isn’t the same as others. I’ll mix in yoga classes into my weekly routine while my friend likes to run in the mornings. Others weight train, some like to mix it all together.
I tried the workout plan for a week, curious about how it would be and although it is great for someone more experienced, it could be very hard for someone just starting out.
In October, I got a personal trainer and went to her three days a week because I had no idea what I was doing in the gym, or even how to do weights. She gave me amazing tips and advice for working out and started me out at a good pace. She first evaluated me, found my strengths and weaknesses, and personalized each workout we did. My workout with her, was very different from her other college-aged client because we all have different body types and strengths.
So while I was able to do everything on the workout list, with some modifications, six months ago I would not have been able to get past even running a mile. Let alone to add the other stuff to it. It took me six months to be able to even master the correct form of some of the workouts up on the list. If I were to look at this list and start doing it out of the blue, in hopes of getting a “summer bod,” I would be miserable.
And not because it’s a bad workout, or because the author didn’t know what she was talking about, but because we are not the same person.
What works for her, doesn’t work for me.
That goes for food as well. Sometimes you just need a cheat day. You have to be able to enjoy yourself as well as feel healthy. For me, it’s all about balance, for my friend, she can’t have unhealthy food in the house, for others, it’s a different routine.
Of course, as I did my personal training I cut out soda and drank more water, but I still had the occasional cookie, and I still get tacos with my coworkers. I needed that balance with food. Because if I go off sugar altogether and eat super healthy for a while, the minute someone pulls out a cake and I try a little piece, I’m downing the whole thing in the corner of my desk.
Being healthy is extremely important, but not everyone is the same way. Some like to go to yoga, some goes sugar free, and others go cold turkey.
The important thing is to do what is best for you and your body. You know what works and what doesn’t.