We are all at different stages of our wellness journey in the game of life. How many times have you caught yourself saying, “I want her/his (insert body part)” as you scroll through social media.

How about this one, does this sound familiar? “I just want to lose 10 more pounds, then I will be happy” Or here is another one I hear often when I interview new clients, “I don’t understand why I don’t have abs like his/hers. I barely eat.”

If you take 10 women or men, of the same weight and stand them side by side, I can guarantee you they will all look different. So as we move through our fitness journey, why do we constantly compare ourselves to others?

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “comparison is the thief of joy”. We scroll through social media and watch all the fitness guru’s posting videos. I will be honest, I have done it myself. But what we don’t often realize, we are all at different stages of the game.

We all come from different genetics. We all have very different body types. We have no idea what that person’s journey has been like on their instagram page. We just see the body. We come to those conclusions in our heads about their journey. Believe me, they have definitley struggled.

When you have small wins in your fitness journey, celebrate them!!! Losing 5 pounds is a big deal. Equate it to a bag of flour or sugar. Congratulate yourself but not with food. Buy the new shirt because it’s in the next size down or the underwear because your old ones are getting big.

Would you ever say to your friend, “Oh my gosh, your abs aren’t popping enough?” If the answer is no, then why do we do it to ourselves? Do not let the comparison of your beginning be the thief of your joy. Spark JOY. Spark the shit out of JOY!

Take every win you earn! Be unapologetically you and love yourself. Fitness is fun when you have the right people guiding you. Someone who is on your side and will celebrate with you as well as pick you up when you fall. And yes, YOU will fall! But the key is to get back up and always bet on you!

As an OR nurse, I see what the disease process does to people’s bodies on the inside. It’s my passion as the trainer to help you prevent disease. You will hear me say this time and time again, “Prevention is so much cheaper than treating disease!”

Thanks for stopping by!
Jen Hughes, RN

#nursenerdfitness
#sparkyourjoy
#stopcomparingyourself
#ACSMtrainergirl

Comparison is the thief of joy.
— Theodore Roosevelt