HUGE Misconceptions About Working Out

It wasn’t until 3 years ago when I decided to join the gym, well that’s not 100% true I necessarily didn’t want too but I knew I needed a change. So this is my gym journey and what I’ve learned throughout the process, also want to share the mistakes I’ve made so you don’t have too.

Things I was afraid of at the Gym

Looking stupid AF while using a machine so in return I never touched one
Physically looking dumb wearing the “wrong” gym attire
People talking to me and me sounding stupid not knowing wtf I was doing
Guys hitting on me (it happens sometimes) lol
Being surrounded by fit girls that will just make me feel more insecure

So, I basically avoided the gym for years up until 3 years ago as I mentioned. CRAZY!!! My boyfriend and I moved in together and he thought it’d be fun to get a gym membership, I was not happy about it. All those years of anxiety starting rushing through my head. I remember literally sweating in the parking lot before entering and starting fights just, so I can go home and leave him to it. I was a nut-job.

I remember our first gym session together, it was so scary. I would look around at everyone and feel as if they’re staring at us. I wore stupid outfits like baggy ass t-shirts to hide my body but that actually made me feel worse because I appeared bigger than what I thought I was.

Tyler and I would fight because I’d tell him I didn’t want to lift weights because I’d get “bulky” He’d then explain to me how that wasn’t going to happen. Being the know it all girl I am, I stuck to my belief that I was right and didn’t really put the effort in my workouts which meant seeing no results. It wasn’t until this year 2018 that I decided to give it my all and sure enough results starting creeping in. Now if only I’d done this years ago haha. Anyway here are some of the misconceptions I had going into “weightlifting”

Misconceptions

Weightlifting turns fat into muscle- OMG I hear this all the time and maybe people don’t literally mean what they’re saying but to be clear, you can’t turn fat into muscle. Literally speaking, they’re two different tissues. If you have fat that you want to get rid of, lifting weights alone isn’t going to cut it. You can grow muscle separately and grow fat. They won’t ever turn into each other. They work individually. Not related whatsoever. So you eat like shit and lift a lot of weights you’re going to get bigger than intended because you’ll gain fat and muscle.

Exercise is the best way to lose weight- I know this one all too well because I used to believe if I ran 2 miles a day and did yoga, I can eat basically whatever I want. I didn’t gain too much weight, but I wasn’t losing anything either. Diet plays a much bigger role than you think when it comes to losing weight.

Lifting weights naturally make you bulky– I’m not even going into detail about this one because I should be a living testament that it doesn’t. I lift almost every day and I’ve only gotten thinner but stronger. I never had visible biceps or triceps before and now I do and it’s fucking amazing. Still working on that 6-pack tho, my eating has cleaned up a lot but it’s still a work in progress. I will write down a different blog post next week about meal prepping and what I’ve done to lose weight.

To stay in shape, you only need to work out 1-2 a week- Can be true if you’re going super hard at them like 3 hours a session. Best to work 1 hour a day and accomplish more.

Working out only benefits your body- It actually helps your over all-mental being. Like Elle Woods said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t!”

Ok, so I understand I have this advantage that my boyfriend goes to the gym with me and therefore I don’t get the creepy dudes bothering me while I’m squatting or in some compromising position. BUT I’ve gone alone and I get a lot of your concerns being at the gym alone. My advice is to just ignore them, if they start talking just say something back and get back to your workout as quickly as possible so they understand you’re not there to talk you’re there to workout…obviously.

As always thank you for reading I appreciate you and your time.

Your Favorite REALTOR® Gal

Damaris