It can be a glance in the mirror, looking through recent pictures, an inability to do something you thought you could do, or becoming injured.
That's right. I'm talking about aha! moments. The defining moment when you decide to get up and move, the epiphany that motivates you to get active, the revelation that you need to make a change, a breakthrough that sparks you set a goal and go after it. Most of us have had at least one, so I'm sharing some that I've collected from my fellow ambassadors at FitFluential and Fit Approach to inspire you, encourage you, and get you pumped up!
My moment was in September of 2008. It forever changed my life. I saw photos of myself and just knew that wasn't how I wanted to live anymore. I finally dropped the weight and have never and will never look back. I love the healthy and fit person I now am.
My a-ha moment was after I ran across the finish line at my first 5K! It hit me that I was actually a runner and could do this! I was never much of an athlete...I couldn't find that one thing that I was good at...until I started running. Since that day I have ran many races including 9 half marathons and 1 full marathon! Anyone can do it if you work hard and set your mind to do it!
I began taking yoga classes in University, but didn't really fall in love with the practice until 2010. I was recovering from a bad ankle injury and discovered the benefits it had on healing my body and healing my soul. The immediate sense of well-being was intoxicating; I became a much more powerful force. Since then I have made it my mission to introduce as many people -friends, family members, even some strangers - to yoga so they could share my experience and journey. The community that yoga creates is like no other, I invite you to try a class; if you're in Calgary come to one with me! Breathe deep. Smile. Twirl. Toss glitter. Write.
In high school, I was a swimmer. I was active, fit, and healthy, and never had to worry about what I ate. But when I went away to college, I gave up swimming, and soon after, the pounds started packing on. At the time, I thought that I knew how to eat healthily and figured that 30 minutes on the elliptical at the gym a few days every week was plenty of exercise. Yet, I couldn't figure out why, despite my "healthy and active" routine, I wasn't able to lose the Freshman 15 that I had gained.
When I look back at that time now, I see that my two major obstacles were that I didn't know how to work out to lose weight, and despite what I thought, I had no idea what it actually meant to eat healthily. I finally took control after enlisting the help of a personal trainer, and with a whole lot of hard work and dedication, I've slimmed back down to my "swimmer status" and I feel stronger and fitter than ever. I still love to eat, but in a much healthier way than ever before. I've learned that being fit and healthy has to become part of your life. Now, I'm a personal trainer myself and my passion is to help others discover the fun in fitness and the excitement in eating healthily.
My aha! moment came in March 2010, when after walking 1 flight of stairs I was so out of breath and broke out into a sweat. I was 25 at the time and weighed 237 lbs. (5'6"). I knew if I kept living the way I did, it was only going to get worse and I was afraid of dying at an early age as a result of my poor, sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle. I found a nutritionist and enrolled at a new gym that was opening by my job and I have not looked back. I lost 87 lbs. and went from a size 18 to a size 6. I finally feel like I am really living. I am strong, healthy, and fit.
I decided to take my roommate's dog for a run. Neither of us made it past the mailbox. It was scary - Something I thought I would be able to do was so hard. I knew I was overweight and unhappy with my body. However, I never realized how out of shape I was until that moment and suddenly I knew I had to do something about it. If I didn't I was sure I would continue to gain weight, stay out of shape, and just get unhealthier. It was time for a change.
That oh crap, time to wake up, moment happened about 5 years ago, but in truth it never really stuck. I would run a few days and then quit for months at a time. Then try to start again and be frustrated because it was so hard. A little over two years ago I started to get more serious about it. However, I really began considering myself a runner on October 1st 2010. That is the day I started half marathon training. I made a promise to myself that I was going to commit to: I was going to become a runner, I was going to finish the race, and I wasn't going to let myself down. Ever since then I haven't stopped. Running is now truly a part of who I am.
2010. My youngest son challenged my to run a mile, I could not. I vowed to never let that happen again. 7 moths later, I ran my first Half Marathon and have run close to 50 races since then.
My "aha" moment came when I saw a picture of myself from a wedding and the woman I saw each time in the mirror was not the woman in the picture!! I was eating & drinking way too much as means of dealing with the loss of a child. Seeing the "real" me was the slap on the forehead I needed to start eating better, moving more, and working to cross a lofty goal (competing in a figure competition) off of my bucket list! You can read more about her moment here.
My aha moment that finally kicked me into gear was seeing myself in the screen of a digital camera. There was no "good side" or cute outfit that could hide the fact that I completely let myself go during my college days...and so began my healthy living journey!
My "a-ha moment" was the moment I crossed the finish line of my first 5k race. Prior to this year, I loathed running, but had begun running to challenge myself, to get out of my comfort zone. Crushing my goal time for that 5K, I proved to myself that change is possible. I went from the slow girl in gym class who walked half of her "mile" to a regular runner on the road, running three or four miles at a time. If I can do that, what else am I capable of? I learned to never hold myself back or assume that I can't. Change is possible at any age, at any fitness level! Take the plunge and strive for better. I dare you ;)
My aha! moment came after spending a weekend in the Outer Banks for my friend's wedding. When I saw myself in the pictures, I was shocked! I barely recognized the person I saw. How had I let myself gain so much weight? After the jolt, I realized that I had been spending a lot of time in my new home and very little time being active, so I started running. Remembering how unhappy I was when I saw myself in those photos continues to keep me motivated today.
Have you had an aha! moment?
