Basic to Bikini: 29 weeks out - unexpected setbacks

Less than 30 weeks out..

This post was originally going to be about something slightly different, but as this year has shown so far, things change. Life doesn’t always go to plan.

I had written a post about routine and my new morning routine. But with gyms closed (among many other things) due to Coronavirus, I feel as though I need to start this post with something far more important: moving forward when things don't go to plan.

If this year has shown anything, it's that you never know what's going to happen. The small things you have always taken for granted can be changed, or taken away, in an instant. It's in that moment we need to show resilience.

When faced with adversity and change, giving up is easy. It is easy to justify giving up but the lessons you will learn through these challenges are more important than the few minutes of solace you'll get from giving up.

We can learn so much about ourselves through difficult times. I understand wanting to give up. When my gym closed, I went straight into a negative headspace; with so much negativity causing anxiety already surrounding me, my bodies first response to this is to feed my emotions with food. Having the freedom to eat what I want, when I want, brings a sense of normality and comfort for me but that would be giving up.

It's times like this that we need to find new ways to bring comfort to our lives. Process your emotions and then work out your new game plan. Stick to your routines because this will pass, and when it does, if you've let everything you were working so hard on fade away, you'll be left feeling more disappointed than you do now. When we come out of the other side of this, you will want to be in the best possible position so that you can go and enjoy all the things that have currently been taken away.

Work on yourself now, in this difficult period, so you don't have to later.

One quote that has always stuck with me is "this is happening for you, not to you". We must learn to embrace change as it is the only constant in our lives. Look at set backs as a chance to reflect and review. Shift your focus and maximise your comeback.

Sometimes the comeback will set you on a different path and other times it'll strengthen the foundation upon which you were working before.

Be open to the possibilities and not fixated on the outcome. Knowing your 'why' and what your end goal is enough; you do not need to know every step in between. There are some things you need to leave up to the Universe.

As for me, I'm exercising every bit of willpower I have to not fall into bad habits and ruin all my hard work over the past nine weeks. Obviously my training is going to need to change and I am incredibly grateful to my coach for organising my training for me to make the most of this time. I'm ensuring I stay on track with my nutrition because that's one thing I have complete control over, and that's what we all need to focus on, the things we can control.

Since we don't know how long gyms will be closed, I'll take each day, and each month, as they come. I will not make any drastic changes right now nor will I do something that'll put me in a worse position once this ends.