This is a lifestyle change...

Just this past weekend, I had a close friend question my commitment to fitness. She asked how long I'd be able to keep it up. I responded with a quick "Forever, it's my new lifestyle. It's a part of my everyday routine." She quickly threw in down the road with kids and other obstacles. My response to this was again brief, "I'll make time." This is not something I am doing because of a future important life event or because it's summer. Like it or not, this is the new me 24/7, every day of every year. 100% committed.

No matter what it is, if it's something you really want, you will find/make time for the things you love to do. For me, working out isn't a burden, it's fun and an escape from everyday stress. It isn't always easy or understood by people around me. It's ok. It's what I want, what makes ME happy. At the end of the day, only I can control my life. I will never force my new lifestyle upon others. It's a choice. 

I had an amazing time at the Bachelorette weekend. Despite the light joking of me being lame because I wasn't really drinking, I stuck to my guns and turned down my once normal "it's ok to binge and drink because of a special occasion excuse". It took plenty of planning and yes, I brought a lot of my own food. It helped me stick to a somewhat normal diet with a few cheats in here and there. I was happy to see that in an environment away from home, I was able to enjoy myself without drinking, while eating my healthy foods. Had I not prepared for this past weekend, I would have binged on snacks and food that I do not normally eat. Some people may find that it sounds weird or restrictive that I'm not having "fun" like everyone else. However, I constantly reminded myself that yes, those junk foods may be fun and tasty at the time, but what's not fun is the aftermath and regret of eating such food that erases all the hard work from past weeks. I'm the only one that takes myself to the gym and looks at myself in the mirror on a daily basis. It all goes back to remebering why I started this journey and the growing reasons for why I continue to work as hard as I do. Most importantly, the food and drinks do not make the weekend fun, it's the people!