By Emily Chance
1. Endorphins! At first, when someone works out, they feel awful and they hate doing it. They hate the sweat, soreness, and the awkwardness of being next to someone else who probably looks way better doing what their body loathes them for doing. However, after a few months of working out, I have become happier. I look forward to the sore muscles because it’s better than the stress I had before working out. Working out is a healthy way to work off your everyday stress; much healthier than getting assault charges for punching that annoying co-worker/customer/person with a nagging voice in the face! You would be too tired to care! I have even started to become stir crazy without exercising.
2. Less fat! Don’t look at the scale when you work out. People inherently put too much expectations on themselves when it comes to their weight! After tracking the trend of my weight loss, I realized that I started losing weight like crazy, then started to taper off and sometimes I even started to gain some back! This is why I advise against scales. Go off how you feel about yourself. You notice the fat you’re losing before others do, so don’t get discouraged if nobody notices at first! You’re doing this for yourself, anyway. Not for them. Once you lose some fat, other fat tends to turn into muscle. And also, don’t be discouraged if your legs are big or your stomach is still squishy. It’s completely healthy and natural to carry some fat in these areas, especially for women, because we carry an extra layer of fat for baby carrying.
3. Loving yourself again! Once I started working out, I began to care about myself again. I compare myself to how I used to look, 10, 15, and 20 pounds heavier. I may not look that different to other people, but I feel heathier, skinnier, and I have much more confidence than I used to. I may not be “up to standards” for the society we live in who expect women to have large butts, big boobs, no stomach, and thin thighs, but I am perfect for how I want to be. Don’t let anyone tell you how you should look. Everyone is different. There is no shame in having small boobs or big thighs. It’s much easier said than done, but your opinion is really all that matters, and once you start loving yourself for who you are, you are unstoppable!
Edited by Klancy Hoover