Five Reasons Your Fitness Journey is About More than Counting Calories
As a fitness professional, January can drive me a little nuts.
Yes, it is the primary time of year when people are most plugged into finding a fitness routine, but that’s the problem: having a primary time of year. Because the current cycle created by diet culture is that we spend the holidays doing nothing by eating, then we spend January burning it all off (to *fingers crossed* get us to swimsuit season), and then we start all over again.
Like I said, January can drive me a little nuts.
Because your fitness journey is about so much more than counting calories. In fact, I’d like to argue that your fitness journey is not about counting calories at all.
I have a secret for you. The more we tell ourselves that we can’t have certain foods and the more we make food the enemy, the more our bodies want those foods. When we deprive ourselves in an effort to get that “beach bod,” the more food becomes an obsession and the more we feel ourselves spiraling out of control.
I have another secret. It doesn’t need to be this way. We made it this way. And it’s our own job to get ourselves out.
Here are five areas we can focus on that positively impact our healths without stigmatizing food.
One. Nutrition.
Weird to start here, I know (considering everything I just wrote), but there is a massive difference between calorie-counting and nutrition.
Calorie-counting doesn’t assess the nutrients attached to food groups; it simply says “yes” or “no” based on numbers. It doesn’t know your body. It wants only your deficit (read: it only cares about you taking in less calories than what you burn). It applauds hunger and will-power.
Nutrition cares about what you consume because it makes your body feel good. Its primary focus is nutrients and how those nutrients support you in all your activities and potential deficiencies. It does not qualify foods as “good” or “bad.” It desires your satiation. It supports your growth and teaches you how to eat intuitively.
Two. Mindset.
You can be doing everything “right” by society’s standards to follow the perfect health plan, but if you’re not taking care of your mental health, none of that really matters (in the long term, at least).
Sure, you look good today. But looking “good” as the barometer for the perfect life isn’t sustainable (and a perfect life doesn’t exist).
In order to progress in your fitness journey, you have to make peace with yourself. You can’t beat yourself up for the days when you get in less steps than planned, and you can’t have a foundation of only highs.
Amidst your fitness journey, you are doing this thing called life. You are your only best advocate to learn what you need, and then it is your responsibility to ask for it.
Three. Movement.
Oh, how I love to move! And I am so thankful that I found intuitive movement.
Because I used to only give myself permission to qualify movement as “exercise” if it fit into a tiny box. It typically involved running at a certain speed for a certain period of time with the distance-tracking feature set on my watch in tandem with the calorie-counter (hint: tools on our wrists absolutely, positively can not count our calorie burns).
I would beat myself up for every day that didn’t fit into that box.
It was exhausting.
Then I gave myself permission to lift weights because it was empowering and hike because it meant getting to spend time with my dog and dance because it was fun. ALL of these things are movement. All bring me joy and release endorphins and burn calories (although that part is far from my focus).
You have to find what lights you up. You have to find what inspires you to move. Because forcing yourself to do anything will simply not create a realistic habit for yourself.
Four. Recovery.
And here we are. This is a vital piece to our fitness journeys that is SO often ignored.
We. Must. Recover.
We must give ourselves space to recover. We must give ourselves time to heal. We must take care of our bodies, and that happens when resting.
Again, a fitness routine set at full speed every single day is not sustainable. So learning to listen to your body is a vital part of growth.
Five. Accountability.
Finally, find your tribe!
Find the people who want to speak positivity into your life - the people who will tag along with you to yoga or swap healthy Instant Pot recipes or hold up signs when you run your first 5K - and will also challenge you in those moments when you don’t feel like you have it in you to push yourself.
If you can, join a network. Follow a program that suits your goals. There’s no need to go alone, and there’s no need to feel isolated in trying to create a routine.
I created my monthly workout program, TL Method, and my intensive course, The Academy, to give women just like you access to a professional, a program, and a cohort of like-minded people. What I’ve learned is how amazing it is to watch these teammates learn from and push each other.
We can go faster alone, but we can go farther together.