Diana's Story

Today's post is a little different...it's about a girlfriend of mine, Diana. Now, we met when I started my journey but I didn't know her all that well. She worked out at my gym and did all the classes I was trying out. She looked like the typical, doesn't need to workout, she already is fit, sorta gal....I judged her based on how skinny & fit she was compared to myself. We all do it, we all have that someone at the gym that just boggles the mind "why is she/he here?" They're done?! While I'm thinking about it, a lot of my friends now are all these people that I would've never thought I'd be friends with...but that's a another story, another day....

As Diana and I have become closer & closer...I would say this last year has brought us the closest, I've realized that my assumptions about her were all wrong. She isn't the token "skinny girl", she has struggled like all of us...I'll let D tell you a little about her journey....

"I was always pretty athletic because of my dance background, then when I stopped and got lazy during college I gained a bunch of weight because I didn't know how to exercise if it didnt involve dance. I tried different stuff like running and Pilates but didnt really enjoy it. My weight was always fluctuating and the only way I knew how to keep it down was to basically starve myself. Then when I moved home after college and joined LFF, I discovered body jam. I was obsessed and felt like I fell in love with dance all over again. I took it 4 or 5 days a week, then eventually got certified in it after being encouraged by other jam instructors. Jam holds a special place in my heart because not only did It allow me to do what I love again, but it opened my eyes to the world of group fitness and les mills. I started trying other classes and got hooked on almost all of them. When I first started taking classes like attack and combat, I thought I was going to literally die after just one class and considered it a serious accomplishment if I made it through 2. With all this endurance and strength building, 4 years later, I'm able to do group fitness marathons. 4, 5, 6 classes at a time. Some people say it's obsessive but I know my body well enough and listen when it just says "no more bitch." I'm in the best shape of my life and have physically accomplished things I never thought were possible. A lot of it is attributed to my new obsession with grit! HIIT Training is the most intense form of working out and I try to do grit 3 times a week. My body isn't perfect, but it's strong, and it's me."

It's Me...something we all need to be mindful of...stop comparing yourself to others...you have no idea what struggles or hard work they've put in to get to the fitness level you see them at now. I'm sure people make assumptions about me now & honestly, that fear of what people may or may not think about me holds me back from things. Holds me back from pushing myself....Diana didn't let that stop her. She kept pushing through to get to the best shape of her life! We all need to have that mindset, including myself....

I am so happy & proud to call a woman like this a Friend. She pushes me when I want to stop, encourages me when I feel down & is always there for me...and she is a freakin badass! My inspiration. 

Everyone needs a Diana in their life...but you gotta find your own...she's probably buried deep inside....that little voice that tells you not to stop...whatever her name, she's there....you just have to dig a little deeper.