Nov 14, 2023
Transformation Tuesday
This isn’t an article seeking congratulatory comments. This is an article to encourage those who have had transformations to occur and now find themselves in a different place from their desired transformation and to explore the ups and downs of transformations that many women may experience.
Change.
Possibly radical change.
Change in your appearance.
Change in your outlook.
Change in your mindset.
You embarked upon your workout journey and it took off! You had the energy to share. You were eating clean, and the weight started falling off and you noticed your clothes were getting too big. You looked in the mirror and finally, finally saw a difference. Others noticed too!
So … you kept going. Your transformation was clear to everyone. Then, something happened. You plateaued. Everything stopped. Including the world. COVID-19 arrived on the scene and things started to “transform” again, only this time, the transformation was taking you back to a place you did not want to be. What did you do? Did it sneak up on you? Did you think you had a handle on the adaptations you had to make in your workout routine? How did you cope?
Did you grab a crunchy peanut butter cookie? Then grab some more and this time add ice cream to the crunchy peanut butter cookie.
Reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic affected our personal lives, and for some of us, our workout routines, and goals, did not escape the hit.
It’s normal to feel defeated or off track with your goals, especially when you put in perspective there are adverse situations that may have caused a setback. A setback can definitely be turned into a setup for another victory! You can get back on track by remembering why you started, reframing your approach, writing down your disbelief, and then re-writing them to frame your beliefs in how you can be successful … again. There is nothing wrong with establishing a new goal that is more in alignment with where you are NOW!
As easy as it is to get off track, it’s just as simple to re-center, re-focus, and reframe your mind to get back in alignment with your goals and prepare for another transformation.
As tempting as it has been for me to throw in the towel and give up this healthy lifestyle, I have to sometimes look at where I’ve come from which helps me work towards a new goal. Looking at pictures of what I used to look like, the weight I carried, how my face was fuller, and how my chin hung, offers me some motivation to get back in the saddle again. Can you relate?
Taking pictures and placing them side by side gives you a clear view of where you’ve come from, and offers hope for where you can be again. You may be between those pictures currently, but if you’ve been working out for more than six months to one year, you know that the most challenging part is what? Showing up! Show up for yourself. This time around, you will be better armed with what NOT to do that will throw you off your path to seeing the success of another transformation.
Try not to let what people say keep you where you don’t want to be. You know, those comments about you putting a few pounds back on. Oh and let’s not forget the looks. The looks tell it all too!
Transforming your body is a total package deal. Not only are you transforming your body, but you are transforming your mind and spirit. Remember: what the mind thinks, the body will follow!
Be transformed!
By: Eden Barbee-Mabry / (@gardenonthegram – IG/ @EdenJBe – Twitter)
Eden Barbee-Mabry is an Education Support Analyst with the State of Georgia. Eden is a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and was led to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia after graduating from Clark Atlanta University in 1988. Eden joined Black Girls Run! in the Spring of 2016 and graduated from the Walk B4 You Run program in June of 2016 and is currently Run Lead for the Fairburn, Georgia group. Eden is a purse lover and strives to inspire every woman because her belief is that although the circumstances may be different, every woman can extract strength from another woman’s story.