Confessions Of A Pilates Instructor
Hi Beauties!
I hope you had a nice weekend.
I spent both days in the studio filming new workouts for the upcoming holiday Pilates program. Needless to say my body is feeling it today (in the best kind of way). Speaking of, registration for the next online program opens on Wednesday so be sure to visit the blog and claim your spot! It’s going to be so much fun. 🙂
After posting “Instagram And The Comparison Trap” a few weeks ago I’ve felt the urge to share more than what may meet the eye on social media. To the outside eye it may seem like I’m obsessed with working out, obsessed with food and it could even appear like I have it all figured out.
I hope you NEVER think I have it all figured out.
I don’t.
We’re all in this together. Pilates is my profession so it’s true that I know more about the body and exercise than the average person and I LOVE sharing that with you. But I’m still learning and growing. I’m continually working to bringing you the best information workouts and resources possible.
But I’m not perfect and I never will be.
So here we go…confessions of a Pilates instructor lest you ever think I have it all together.
Confessions of Pilates instructor:
I don’t workout as much as you think. I used to exercise a lot more than I do now. I’m a full-time mom and a full-time business owner so these days my workouts are a much smaller part of my life. I workout a few times per week, sometimes more, sometimes less. These days I’m more focused on doing little bits throughout the day that add up. I’ve come to accept that different seasons of life bring different seasons of exercise and that’s okay.
I don’t go to the gym. I don’t have the time to add in an extra commute and Pilates/running/walking WORKS for my body so I’m sticking with it. For now anyway (although I’ve recently been contemplating the beauty of “free” childcare that comes with a gym membership…).
I don’t lift weights. I get my resistance training through body weight exercises (Pilates), the reformer and TRX from time to time.
Fitness is not my life. Despite the fact that I post about it all day on social media and blog about it here 3x per week, it’s not my life! It’s just a part of it. My workouts are important to me and I fit them in when I can. But I do not make myself miserable by planning my life around exercise. There is more to life! Instead, I just try to move my body more often (walks, hikes, little bits of Pilates while laying on the floor with my baby, barre during bath time, etc.) and do more proper workouts when I can.
I don’t read health and fitness blogs. Why? Because I don’t want my vision to get clouded. I have a strong vision for this website and I LOVE the creative process of coming up with blog topics, programs and challenges for you all. When I read other blogs it’s easy to feel like everything’s already been done or to get influenced in the wrong way. I want to keep my vision for our community clear and unclouded by what others are doing.
I don’t count calories. I just eat real, whole, nourishing food and I eat a lot of it (breastfeeding for the win).
I put sugar in my coffee. GASP! When I go to Starbucks I get a grande, decaf Americano with 2 raw sugars. Guilt-free.
I don’t watch myself on camera. When I film videos for you, I do it one time through. I include the mess-ups and the awkward sentences because if I spent time critiquing myself I’d never get anything done. I film it once, edit once and out the world it goes.
I never say “I feel fat”. I won’t give in to fat talk with girlfriends and I have made it a rule not to talk that way in front of my husband or daughter. My daughter is 1, but she understands more than I realize. And berating myself in front of my husband doesn’t do much for our relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I used to talk negatively about my body ALL the time. But when I decided I wanted to break free of hating my body, this was one of the first changes I made.
BUT, I still have “blah days”. We all do. Some days I get dressed and feel so frustrated that nothing fits right. It usually has to do with too many treats or that time of the month. On these days I wear loose clothes and move on.
I eat all the foods. I am not 100% free of anything and am not afraid to eat unhealthy foods. Most of the time I eat home-cooked, fresh, healthy meals; very little processed food, very little starch and very few sweet treats. But when I want to indulge I will. And I won’t think twice about it. It’s funny, I’ll often notice that in a group of women I am often the only one not worrying about calories and fats. Kind of ironic right? Awhile back I was at a dinner with a handful of VIP women in the tech and blogging world. When individual french fry servings were delivered to our plates I was the ONLY one that ate my whole serving (it was actually a very small serving). And women noticed. In fact one even mentioned that she was waiting to see if I would eat the fries before she at hers. People tend to think that since I am the health & fitness girl that I won’t eat certain things. I think it’s my role to model a HEALTHY relationship with food, not a restrictive one.
I don’t always feel like teaching or working out. Sometimes I just want to lay on the couch and watch E!
I spend 6 out of 7 days in workout clothes, even if I don’t workout. Which is why I’m so grateful for my partnerships with Soybu, Athleta and Fabletics. 🙂
I will eat all the baked goods. Which is why I don’t bake. That, and I’m not very good at it. If baked goods are in the house I think I need to eat them all just to get them out of the house. 🙂
I give up on workouts too. Sometimes I’ll start a YouTube video and end up just laying there watching the screen. And then get up to get a snack. Some days I’m just not feeling it.
There you have it!
This may not be the most motivational post I’ve ever written but it’s honest. 🙂 And the interesting part is I’ve never felt healthier, happier or my confident in my own skin. Finding this balance has led me to be in the best shape of my life.
I hope you know that we are all in this together. This is my profession and I have a passion for encouraging others to make health and well-being a priority, but I’m still human. I’m working to balance it all just like you.
Can you relate to any of these confessions? Let me know in the comments. I hope I’m not alone!
xo,
PS – one more confession…I’m writing this post at 3:30 pm on a Friday and I have yet to shower or get ready for the day. Workout clothes and messy bun for the win!
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