Katy Brenneman
For years, I obsessed about my body. So many times I looked in the mirror and sucked in my stomach or pinched my love handles and tried to tuck them away to imagine how much better I would look without them.
I dieted.
I took up running. Regularly ran 10k a couple times a week. Entered races.
Tried to prep for a bikini competition.
Bought a ‘10 Week Bikini Body’ program from girls with cool instagrams.
Worked with a personal trainer.
I swear I’ve tried it all and I will probably never stop trying to all. But the one thing I have learnt from ‘trying it all’ is that if it’s not sustainable, I DON’T want it. #nope #notforme #youcanhaveit
There is nothing worse than going to the extreme to look a certain way and then when you enter back into reality – BOOM – you blow up like a balloon. You’re uncontrollable. You can’t stop eating and the last place you wanna go is the gym! You’re so sick of that place. You worked so hard, for so long and then adahfhsfhaifaslkcabbavkjjfs. Gosh. It’s the worst. You feel like it’s worse than it was before you went to the extremes.
I’ve seen this happen so many times to myself and to others. Not only are we ruining our physical state, but also our mental state. Plus, nobody wants to be around someone who constantly is talking about their weight and diet and blah blah blah. (#1 – You look fiiiiine! #2 – Who wants some wine?)
Over the years, I figured out some tips for success (keep in mind this is what works for me):
- Small change make the biggest impact. Start by doing small simple changes weekly. Cut out dessert from 2 meals a week. Try a lettuce burger. Drink 2 more glasses of water each day. etc. These changes are simple and will benefit you the most in the long run because you can ACTUALLY stick to them.
- If it’s five flights or less, take the stairs! (6 is pushing it lol) But seriously, these small things make a difference – always take the stairs.
- Drink lots of water. Think of the benefits besides weight loss: it will make your skin nicer, you’ll feel more energized & you’ll flush the toxins out of your body etc.
- Have fun with workouts! Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it. Do something you enjoy so you’ll want to exercise! Train with a friend. Go to volleyball with your colleagues. D
o yoga or pump some weights to some aggressive rap music. Whatever you do, enjoy it. - Eat healthy because you’ll feel better later. Think about how you’ll feel in the next 10 minutes. You don’t wanna rot your teeth, you wanna live to be 100, and healthy food has more flavour/tastes better anyway!
- Figure out your goals. This is important. If your goal is to be an IFBB pro – then get yourself a coach and do a physique competition! But if your goal is to have a flat stomach and feel rockin’ in a bikini all year round then find a trainer who will help you change your habits and help you make a sustainable change! Ain’t nobody got time for rebounds.
-Katy