Five years ago, the life of a person who was in my circle took a turn for the worse, and it just so happened that many people whom I had not seen in awhile ended up at the hospital for support of this young man whose life was hanging in the balance.
It was apparent that a few of these people whom I have not seen in awhile had been working out. Their bodies and spirits reflected that they had been taking some awfully good care of their inner bodies.
There is no way that I can not see this type of change in someone and not acknowledge it, and of course they told me about their health journey with this wonderful personal trainer named Berhane.
At this time I was religiously going to the gym, running lots of miles, and I thought my diet was pretty good. So, when they suggested that I try Berhane, I was reluctant; I already had a plan. However, Berhane ended up coming to the hospital, and I was completely drawn into his quiet, caring personality. However, what I loved about him the most is that he was not trying to convince me that I needed to work out with me. He confidently spoke about his services, and after talking to him, I knew that I had to at least try him once.
My first workout with him was hard and eye-opening; I was definitely not in the shape that I thought I was. However, he did not make me feel bad about that fact, but he let me know that I could improve. In the beginning I was doing his workouts with all of my heart, but it took me a little longer to get on board with my diet. Being a happy hour girl, I loved my drinks and what I thought was good food on the weekends. What I didn’t know is that my eating habits on the weekends were completely destroying my workouts. (Working out does not make up for bad eating habits!) Finally, I got the full revelation that diet and exercise go hand in hand, and the rest is history!
I have been training with Berhane every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for the last five years, and I hope to be training with him for quite a long while into the future...
What I know for sure is:
Our health is our wealth, and it ain't a destination; it’s a journey. I remember thinking that when I reached a certain size, or at the end of the first year, then the second year, I could relax. However, Berhane quickly reminded that relaxing would have me ending up right back where I was before: high body fat, slightly high cholesterol, fatigued etc.
My people, I have to be vigilant, making sure that I work out and be conscious about every single thing that I put in my mouth. There is no ideal number on the scale at all, but there is an ideal lifestyle that we can strive for, and that is one that puts our health first.
When I first started training with Berhane, I just wanted to lose weight, but he reminded me over and over again that “If I take care of the inside of my body, the outside would take care of itself.” Now for most of us, we love the outward appearance; what folks can see when we have our clothes on and when we do not. However, I have learned that the outside of our bodies are a direct reflection of the inside. When our insides are hydrated, nourished with good foods, and worked with quite a bit of intensity, the reward is that the outside of our bodies reflect the healthiness of the inside of our bodies.
These last five years have been better than I can even articulate. You know, just knowing where I will be on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays at 4 brings me a lot of comfort and reduces the anxiety of when to fit in the workouts. I plan most of my meals, and guys this ain't something that I like to do, but it sure does help me to monitor what I eat.
In addition to working out with Berhane where we mostly focus on me having a lean body with more muscle than fat through strength training and diet, I make sure that I do lots of cardio, and I just happened to have found a cardio activity that I absolutely love, cycling, and I cycle five or six days a week even during the winter.
My people, it’s been five years, and I promise, I wouldn't believe it if I did not have four previous anniversary blogs that are reminders that it really has been five, good years. These five years have been fun and rewarding, and I can not even imagine a life where I did not did put my health first.
If you are reading this blog and you are on a health journey, keep on keeping on. However, if you need to take your journey to another level, switch it up, or even get started, remember, it is never to late to work on your health. I can guarantee you that once you make taking care of your health apart of what you do, you will have a better life overall.
Oh, how I am loving this journey.....
It's been five years, and I am just getting started!!
Anniversary One Blog
Anniversary Two Blog
Anniversary Three Blog
Anniversary Four Blog
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