Fit With Bex

Island girl workout plan: swim, snorkel, hike, beach walk, explore, repeat 🌺🤙🏼

feeling motivated. feeling strong. feeling good⭐️💙✨🦋

20yr old me vs. 32 yr old me👯‍♀️

The photo on the left was just days after I ran my first, and only, marathon. I remember feeling confused and disappointed as to why my body didn’t look the way I thought it should. I thought I’d feel “skinnier” and shredded after all that running. I could run 26.2 miles for goodness sake!

Here’s what I WISH she knew:

🌼Keep running. No, you don’t need to do it every day, but keep running. You love it. That’s really important. But..
🌼You’re under-eating. You’re not eating enough calories or protein. It’s a big reason you’re not seeing changes in your body. You gotta fuel up girl!
🌼You’re missing out on strength training. It will help you become a stronger runner, and building muscle + eating right is how you get “toned.” Also, all muscle is “lean muscle” (fitness buzzwords are dumb). FYI, feeling strong is amazing!
🌼Your life does not need to revolve around fitness 24/7 to find success
🌼There will come a day when a PR in the gym, or running your smartest (not fastest) holds more value than a number on the scale. I’m so sorry it took so long for us to understand that
🌼Finally, you look amazing. You are so beautiful. Please let that shine, inside and out. Don’t ever let anyone dim that.

I’ve often tried to fit myself into one box: the runner, the full time fitness professional, the fitness girl who is super strict with her diet, the gym rat. I really thought living in one of those fixed identities would be the key to happiness with my body. Yes, even my initial career choice was subconsciously rooted in that goal (that was a fun realization to make last year, *sigh*).

It wasn’t until I found a balance between cardio I enjoy, lifting to feel strong, properly fueling my body, and doing this ALL from a place of appreciation for my body did I find my best results. Body and mind.

I cheer for that the girl on the left. She kept going, and became who I am today. Smarter, stronger, more balanced… and I’m proud of her. I’m proud of me.

It’s ok to gain weight.
It’s ok to for your body shape to change.
It’s ok to outgrow clothing.
It’s ok to struggle with feelings surrounding your body changing.

These photos are (almost exactly) 2 years apart. I realize they don’t look dramatically different. However, my little brain knows there’s about 10lbs and a clothing size larger difference between the dark haired cutie on the left vs. “me” today (also a cutie).

I’ve since gotten rid of that outfit on the left, because it no long fits me comfortably. I’ve replaced it with another turquoise outfit, in the right size, that makes me feel confident!

I understand how the additional pounds accumulated on my body, some muscle, some fat. I can recall the ups and downs I’ve had over the last two years, both in and out of the gym. All of which play a factor.

Some days I feel upset at myself that I’m not as lean. Other days I tap into the muscle I’ve gained and feel absolute gratitude and badass-ery toward my body and what it can do. It’s ok to feel such paradoxical things, even all at once!

Neither of these photos are a before, and neither are an after. They are just snapshots of my journey along the way. That what’s this “fitness-thing” is…a journey.

Growth is realizing that body changes (to either a larger, smaller, or differently composed size) don’t change your worth. They don’t change your worthiness to eat food, to exercise, to wear clothing that makes you feel confident, or to be loved.

I’ve struggled to make peace with my body since I was a teenager, and though I’ve come SO far, it’s still not 100% perfect. I know many of you can relate to being on a similar journey. Just know, you’re not alone. Keep going.

I hope this can encourage at least one of you today.💖(I also hope you can appreciate me taking time to recreate these photos lol)