I have been working out under the guidance of the Just Sweat personal trainers for over a year now and it has been an unforgettable experience. There have been cheers of joy as I hit new personal records and pouty faces when I can’t hit as many reps as the week before. There have been smiles and laughter as well as feelings of shame and disappointment.

I’m not surprised that there have been ups and downs and I’m in this for the long haul so regardless of any steps backwards I may take I’ll always take another one forward.

Reflecting back over the year I put together two lists – one for the good things that have come about, and one for the not-so-good.

The Good

• I’m stronger now than I have ever been
• I’m more confident in myself
• My cardiovascular has improved
• Overall I feel happier and more settled in my day to day life
• I’ve been more consistent with my workouts
• I get back on track with my workouts quickly after a break
• I’m more aware of my daily activity levels and food consumption

Not-So-Good

• I often find myself wanting to spend more money on workout clothes
  Not necessarily a bad thing as long as I budget for it or just stay away from the temptation

• I spend more time thinking about the quality of my meals (not just the number of calories) so deciding what to eat takes longer
  The more I do this the healthier and better-rounded my go-to meals will become so eventually it won’t take me as long to choose.
  Early on I had a nutrition session with Tara where we went through the types of foods I was eating and how I was structuring my meals. She gave me some great insights and suggestions for how to make improvements
  

• I’m more likely to feel bad after a cheat food day
  Also not necessarily a bad thing so long as I fuel those negative emotions into motivation to eat well the next day instead of using them as an excuse to keep eating poorly
  

• I haven’t lost the weight or inches I had imagined I would when I started
  This one is definitely all on me. Admittedly, despite the nutrition counselling and regular follow ups from my trainer on my eating habits I have not been great with my food choices. Chocolate and cheese remain high on my list of regular foods despite having several conversations with Roberto about needing to cut back in order to become my healthiest self and reach my goals.
  

• I haven’t hit my goal of 10 pull ups
  Again this one falls on me for not following the recommendations to do my max reps multiple times a week – daily or more if possible – at home. I have a pull up bar right near my front door so there should be no excuse (though I keep coming up with them…)
  

Looking closely at the things on the not-so-good list, they are not a reflection of my trainer or the studio. They are things that I have control over and with the on-going support of Just Sweat I know I can continue to improve.

So far it has been a very rewarding experience and I look forward to what this next year brings!

Click here to see the start of my journey.
Click here to see all my posts.