As you may know, I’ve been on a journey to building a consistent habit of working out 4-5 times a week. And this week I’m on Week 13. I’ve been consistently keeping up the habit of exercising 4-5 days a week (and sometimes 6!) for 13 weeks in a row.
I’ve been following the BBG program and using the Sweat app for motivation and to track my workouts. It has totally changed my life.
The app is programmed with weekly workouts that are all 28 minutes long, with each one having two circuits with four body-weight exercises that you do as many times as you can until the time is up. Each circuit is seven minutes and then you switch, going through both circuits twice.
It’s the first program I’ve ever been able to stick with, because it appeals to my multi-passionate gets-bored-easily sensibility. It mixes things up, and I also modify a lot of the exercises or I create my own.
So working out has become fun for me, for the first time in my life. And I’ve even gotten to a point now where when I decide to skip a day (or even two) I no longer panic or worry that I’ll fall off track. I’m now fully committed and the habit is programmed, so I know I’ll always just get back to it the next day.
But there is one thing that’s been bugging me… I’m not seeing very much physical change.
I’ve been busting my ass on these 28-minute workouts 4-5 times a week and I look exactly the same now as I did when I first started.
What’s worse is that I constantly see posts in the BBG community where the other women are sharing their before-and-after pics and having huge physical transformation. And then I feel annoyed and then I start telling myself that it’s not working.
My eyes are not showing me very much physical change. BUT that doesn’t mean physical change hasn’t been happening!!
This is the thing we always forget about when it comes to manifesting what we desire or going after a goal or dream that we have. If we have an unconscious belief that it won’t work (as we do with so many things) or we’re constantly looking out into the physical reality for the results of our efforts, we’re not going to see them.
And many times the physical changes happen very, very slowly. Especially in the beginning when you’re first building up the momentum of consistency.
BUT, again, that doesn’t mean physical changes aren’t happening.
You just can’t see them yet because your brain is still used to seeing the old reality you’ve been living. So your brain is still looking for evidence of your old life when it looks out into your current life.
I call this ‘residue of the old.’ Eventually it will dry up and your brain will start projecting a new reality for you. But it takes time.
When you’re building up momentum, the place where the changes are mostly happening is on the INSIDE. What’s changing is how you think and how you feel and the beliefs that you’re choosing.
You can tell this is happening, because even though the outside looks the same and even though it doesn’t seem like much is changing in your physical reality, you feel different on the inside. You feel like a new version of you.
You feel more empowered. You feel more inspired. You feel more in-tune. You feel more connected. You feel more passionate. You feel more energized. You feel more high-vibe.
And you feel less worried. Less attached to the old you. Less afraid that things won’t work out.
When old negative thoughts or limiting beliefs pop up, they actually make you laugh now. Because even though your physical reality hasn’t shifted yet—and even though there’s a tiny part of you who still wants to cling to the belief that things will never change—you’ve been awakened to the truth of how our Universe works, and you know that if you just keep going, it’s inevitable that at some point, the physical changes will happen.
This is especially true for when you start trying to make a change in your physical body. The biggest changes always start on the inside first.
First you start to think and feel differently about going to the gym. Suddenly working out no longer seems like something you want to avoid. Suddenly the idea of working out sounds fun. Suddenly you’re choosing to workout instead of take a nap, when you’d usually choose the nap.
Suddenly you’re feeling more confident. You’re believing in yourself more. You’re starting to get the hang of this gym thing. You’re starting to be more habitual about moving your body on a consistent basis.
You even think you might like going to the gym after all. You found something that works for you and you’ve never been happier in this area of your life.
Most people who workout 4-5 times a week for 13 weeks straight would see a lot of physical change. And it’s totally possible to see it that quickly.
But it all depends on where you’re starting.
In my case, I was starting like 10 feet from the finish line. I didn’t have miles to go. I was right there. I was already in pretty good shape. I was already at my ideal weight.
There’s just more that I want.
The more that I want–to be toned, to be leaner, to be stronger, to finally have a habit of working out 4-5 days a week–takes time. And because I was already in good shape to begin with, there isn’t much physical change that needs to happen.
Which is why I was feeling like it wasn’t working.
Until I tried on my old jeans the other night. The ones that hadn’t fit me in years because they were from when I was in my 20s and I was a tiny bit smaller then.
My jeans that I’ve had for a decade, that have been washed so many times they’ve shrunk a little, fit me. They fit me! And comfortably.
And then I noticed, hey–my arms are looking leaner than they were before. Not to mention–wow–I’m feeling really good about my body for the first time, maybe ever.
Amazing. I guess it is HAS been working and it IS working. And just because I couldn’t see a significant physical change with my eyes, doesn’t mean change hasn’t been happening.
Change has been happening. Transformation is underway. And I know if I just keep doing what I’ve been doing, very soon I’ll be seeing the physical changes that I desire.
It’s time to start giving yourself more credit for all the effort you’re putting in. Regardless of if the physical results have shown up yet or not.
Dream life or bust,
jen
