It's no secret that I am pretty tiny and maybe even smaller than I am supposed to be at twenty-one years of age. I'm healthy but a couple years back I started to think of ways to become even more healthy and improve my self-confidence. I know you may be thinking, "You're a woman. Women shouldn't lift," but come on guys women can do anything. People think that women shouldn't lift because then they'll end up looking like men but that isn't the case at all.

Weightlifting burns fat, makes your muscles grow, and it makes your bones stronger. Weightlifting also helps me relax more when I'm feeling a little stressed out. One of my favorite workouts I like to do is BODYPUMP in the student recreation and wellness center at Radford University.

BODYPUMP is a fun and it's not only good for just weight lifting. Cardio is also incorporated into the work out as well.

Weight lifting has built up my confidence in so many ways. I feel better and I believe I look healthier too. Putting on weight through muscle has made it so that I move better with more pride in myself.

Some people might think it's a little crazy to WANT to gain weight been told that I should be happy being small but I've also been bullied about my tiny size as well. It's more than just gaining weight though.

I want to gain HEALTHY weight through exercise and a nutritional diet filled with carbohydrates (YES CARBS!), protein, and healthy fats.

Some people feel confident when they lose weight while others feel confident about gaining weight. We all have our fitness goals and none of it is easy but it definitely will be worth it once we do meet our goals. It's important to have smart fitness goals that can be achieved in a reasonable amount of time.

And believe me when I say these things take time and consistency. I believe we should encourage each other to meet our fitness goals and maintain them instead of questioning things like weight gain. I still have a long ways to go but I am becoming happier and happier with my progress each step of the way.