(Taken from my blog - igabifit.blogspot.com)

Note - Pictures don't show very well on here. You can see better pictures on my website linked above.

Sorry for not posting for the past few days! I had an 8 AM midterm for my neuroanatomy class, and just couldn't find the time to write out my thoughts. The good news is, I have been working out everyday regardless of how busy I was. My 21 day challenge ended yesterday, and I have to say that it was the best experience ever. First, you're always checking in to the 21 day challenge Facebook group, so you feel obligated to keep them informed of your nutrition, what workout you did, and how you felt afterwards. Everybody's encouraged to post motivational quotes, their concerns, and just how they are doing with the challenge. If you have any questions, there are coaches on that Facebook group. You have easy access to help whenever you need it. It's a great way to stay accountable, and stay committed on your new workout and clean eating routine.

Now, I'm sure you're all wondering how I did. I took a before picture, and an after picture to show that just 3 weeks of strong commitment and endurance will help you see results. After 21 days, you honestly get into the habit of eating clean, and wanting to work out daily. As your workout routine gets easier, you end up having more fun. You end up looking forward to your workout (at least for me it did). The most important thing is not the numbers (i.e. your weight, waist size, etc.), but the way you feel after eating clean and exercising. The change wasn't very dramatic, but it was still there. I now have less fat on my abdomen, and my legs feel so much stronger. I get less tired when I go for longer walks, and running became easy. I don't get headaches, light-headedness, fatigue, bad bowel movement, indigestion, and random pain here and there. I actually feel like I think faster now that I'm constantly working out. Exercise has been proven to help in ridding many disease symptoms. You just get healthier overall with exercise. It also helps with posture as well.

 As far as confidence goes, you just feel a lot more confident than you were before. Even if you didn't reach your ideal body shape, you still feel confident because of how much you were able to accomplish. Stress tends to make you think negative thoughts, but when you exercise, you end up feeling so much better. You start thinking positive thoughts, and less negatives. When you run an extra mile, or for a longer period of time, you feel accomplished and satisfied with your improvement. Within only one week into the 21 day challenge, I started to feel more confident. I was able to wear leggings with a regular t-shirt without feeling self-conscious about what others would say about the shape of my butt or thighs. My thighs aren't perfect, and they're not something to brag about, but exercising just made me not care about who's watching me. I used to think that people always judged others on a daily basis, but I realized nobody really does. It's all in our heads. 

 
I know there's going to be people who say that I wasn't extremely fat to begin with. But everybody has their own goals and starting point. You can start working out whenever you want. You can commit to a healthy regime whenever you want. It doesn't matter if you're already skinny, or if you're overweight and want to lose fat. Exercise is a lifestyle. It's not something you should feel obligated to do everyday, but something you should enjoy doing as part of your daily life. At first, I felt the obligation. It's very hard to actually begin and incorporate exercise into your daily life. But slowly, you will surely get stronger, and with strength, you will enjoy exercising. Your body is capable of doing more than you think. 
 
So, that's basically what I wanted to talk about today. I know several individuals who've complained to me saying that they're either too old to start working out, or they're too busy. For those of you who think they're too old, it's never too late to start. For those of you who are too busy, it's ok to start working out when you feel ready to make it a commitment. But even if it's just 5 minutes, it's really healthy to exercise a little bit everyday. 
 
For those of you who are interested in joining a 21 day challenge, 4 day challenge, or any challenge to get you motivated, please feel free to let me know. I highly recommend starting with a challenge group to help you stay motivated. It definitely helped me, and I know it takes a lot to motivate me. If I can do it, so can you. Shoot me an email or comment below, and I can let you know more about the next upcoming challenge. 
 
Have a nice day, everyone!