Finding your why can be a challenging task but it’s so important when trying to stick with a new goal or healthy habit. I’ve recently discovered my WHY for fitness and it’s helped me accept and love my plus sized body.
Today officially marks day 70 of of my 2018 New Year’s Resolution to start working out. For the past 70 days I’ve been working out 6 days a week. If you do the math (which I just did) that means I’ve worked out 60 times in the past 70 days!
I read a quote once that said that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit– If you eat healthy for 21 days it becomes a habit, if you work out for 21 days it becomes a habit, if you stop biting your nails for 21 days you break the habit of biting your nails, etc.
If I believe that quote to be true, then I have set a new habit 3 times over, yet if I’m being honest and vulnerable with myself (and with you) not a day goes by that I don’t worry if I’m going to fail at this. I worry that working out is just my current “it thing” and that a year from now I’ll have broken the habit and be right back at where I was January 1st of this year.
When I sit down and evaluate why I’m hoping this time is different, it always comes back to one thing– I’ve found my WHY and it’s a good enough one to (hopefully) make this new habit stick.
In the past I had a lot of reasons WHY, but the biggest reason was the number on the scale. I’ve opened up many times in the past about my history with anorexia and my obsession with the number on the scale. That number always had such a powerful hold on me and my feeling of self worth.
If I didn’t see that number moving, then I would lose my reason for working out. If your reason WHY isn’t being fulfilled, why would you opt to go to the gym rather than spend time snuggling on the couch with your hubby and kids?
On January 2nd I started a 90 Day Bikini Body Mommy Workout Challenge and I didn’t have a clear WHY in my head, I had many little whys– to be healthy, to lose weight, to portray a healthy body image to my kids… but my big WHY was missing.
It took me over a month, and having a big epiphany moment (which you can read about here) to find it. My WHY no longer has to do with the number on the scale, or what other people think about the way I look– Those things are losing their power for me (I started by saying they’ve lost their power for me… but let’s be real… I can’t say for 100% certainty that if someone said something really nasty about the way I look that it wouldn’t get to me.)
My reason WHY is this– When I work out, I feel good about myself.
Working out has been so wonderful for my mental health, for my self love and for my body image issues. In the last month I have come to accept that I am thick and I love it. I love my round butt, the curves of my waist and hips and my big, bountiful boobies!
I have surrounded myself with body positivity role models and every single day I celebrate their bodies and my own.
Life is too short to not feel good about yourself, and working out makes me feel food about myself, so that’s my big WHY!
It’s made me realize that identifying your reasons why will help you with everything in your life that you want to thrive at and succeed at! So I ask you… Have you gone on the journey of finding your WHY?
Ready for my February Recap filled with things I love? Read on!
February Recap
(The following links may contain affiliate links, that means that if you buy something I get a small percentage of the sale. )
Read- (Follow me on GoodReads)
Every Heart A Doorway (Wayward Children Series) by Seanan McGuire- If you have ever wondered what happens when the pages end of books about magical worlds like Narnia and Wonderland, then you need to read this series!
The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill- Unrequited love, gangsters, circuses, orphanages, magic and sex. This novel had me flipping the pages to find out what would happen next.
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle- With the movie coming out this month it seemed high time that I revisited one of my favorite books from childhood. I wasn’t disappointed. Bean is reading it now and we will go to see the movie together when she has finished reading it! (We plan on delving even further into the time quintet because we purchased the Time Quintet Boxed Set!)
Other Things I’m Loving-
ORIGINS Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores– I shared this mask last month and wanted to loop back to it again after having been using it for over a month. I’ve added this mask to my weekly routine, applying it every Sunday after taking my shower (I use it after my shower because my pores are all open from the hot water.) Usually I always know when my period is coming because I get a breakout on my chin, this past month I didn’t break out and my skin looked smooth and flawless throughout my entire cycle. I’m crediting it to using this face mask. I highly recommend it. Also, a little goes such a long way! I’m still using my deluxe sample size and have at least half the bottle left! Try it!
IPKN New York Flash Cream Radiant Primer SPF 15– I am not a primer girl, but decided to add this to my Amazon cart after I saw one of the gals from ColourPop raving about it on her instagram stories. I love having a glowy look but don’t feel like I have the mad skills to really make the most out of my highlighter. Put a little bit of this primer under your foundation/tinted moisturizer/bb cream or even on it’s own without anything on top of it and be treated to beautiful, glowing skin. This product isn’t glittery or sparkly but rather gives you that look like you’ve been drinking a ton of water and the light is hitting you just perfectly!
Nars Let’s Go Crazy Travel Sized Lip Pencil- I received this lip pencil in a recent Sephora Play Box and fell head over heels in love with it. I’ve been skipping the lipstick and wearing this all over my lips when I want a fun, bright color to dress up my look. Perfect for spring this pinky red color isn’t too crazy, is very wearable and a whole lot of fun. This fun travel size is the perfect size to buy if you want to wear it for the spring/summer and move onto a different color in the fall/winter.
Clinique Chubby Stick Woppin’ Watermelon Mini-Size- Here’s another fun mini size lippie for you to give a try! I received this color in my Sephora Play Box and fell in love with it too. I call this subtle pink shade “My lips only better”. It leaves my lips looking plump and moisturized and just slightly pinker than my natural lips. Perfect for dropping the kids off at school in the morning when you want to have that “no makeup” makeup look.
Sketcher’s Emoji Shoes- I wish that they had these shoes in grown up sizes, or even better yet that my feet were small enough to fin in kids sizes. I would love to rock these shoes at a conference that I’m heading to next month. Alas, they don’t have them in women’s so I had to settle with buying them for my kiddo and watching her rock them every day!
LisaM says
I’m cheering for you! You got this.
I love the colour of that chubby stick (but seriously, a little more thought on the naming!)
Steward Jones says
Finding your Y is one of the biggest thing that could achieve you success later on,By the time that that you are very clear about why you really want to succeed it will fuel you hunger and want to achieve more.Thanks for the post! 🙂