It is not easy, but it is worth it

The other day I was browsing Pinterest (is anyone else besides Lexy and I addicted to Pinterest?) when I came across the quote “I’m not telling you it is going to be easy, I’m telling you it is going to be worth it.” The past few days, I have been reflecting on that quote a lot because what it says is so powerful about what it takes to be really successful not only at this health and fitness journey, but just life in general. 

I think this quote is poignant because at our core we really do want things to come easy.  Who can honestly say that they don’t wish that they could take a magic pill and all of the weight would fall away no matter how many Oreos you consumed?   Or that before entering a new relationship you would know with 100% certainty that it was going to be smooth sailing and that everything was going to end up perfectly? Or that the perfect job that paid over six figures while at the same time making you feel fulfilled would just fall into your lap? 

When people ask me how I lost 119 lbs and what my advice is for starting out on such a journey, I wish that I could tell them, “oh its no, big deal, it is going to be easy. You are going to start eating apples and never want ice cream again. And you are going to love to exercise so much that waking up at 6:00 on a cold Saturday morning to run is going to be no problem. Trust me, it will be easy.”  However, the one thing I have learned over the past 16 months is that it is not easy! Sure, it gets easier- exercise routines become habits and healthy, non-processed food does taste better…but it never gets easy.  There are still days when the thought of running 3 miles or doing walking lunges with weights sounds absolutely painful and miserable.  But you know what- 99.9% of the time I still do it- and I can honestly say I have never once regretted a run after it was complete.   And while these past 16 months have not been easy, they have absolutely,  without a doubt, been worth it.  I am a happier, healthier, stronger, more confident person because  of this journey-  but when I started this journey I had no idea that those things would happen or how I would change in the process.  I had no idea that all of those days when I made myself go running or when I turned down a piece of chocolate cake would lead to me becoming the person I am today. In fact, I think it is because the journey was not always easy is what makes the accomplishment so much more satisfying.  It may be totally cliché, but if it was easy, everyone would do it and then it would not mean anything. 

Are you embarking on a new venture in your life? Is there something in your life that you want to change, but you are scared to try because it might not work out the way that you want it to?  The best advice I can give you is to stop being afraid, take a risk, and put yourself out there knowing that no matter what happens you are strong enough to handle it.  No, it probably won’t always be easy.  But at the end of the day, it will be worth it.