Midnight Workouts & Baby Steps

(Part 5/10)

After finally facing myself, I knew I could not keep living the way I was. But change didn’t come all at once. It came in small, messy, imperfect steps.

I started with what I could manage. I bought Beachbody DVDs and did the workouts in my tiny studio apartment. Usually around midnight after my shifts. My fridge, which had once held nothing but leftover pizza and Boone’s Farm, started to look a little different. Diet soda instead of cherry Coke. One burger patty instead of three. Fewer fries.

Looking back, these weren’t massive changes, but they mattered. They were proof that I could do something different, even in the middle of long workdays and exhaustion.

Within three months, I was down about 10 pounds and I realized I wanted more. I didn’t want to just survive shifts at Five Guys. I wanted to rebuild my life. I wanted to finish what I had started. I wanted to come back to myself.

So I made a decision that scared and excited me: I quit my job, re-enrolled in college, and moved back home. And I did it in the most “me” way possible. I surprised my parents on Christmas Eve. I drove all the way home, wrapped myself up under the tree while they were out to dinner, and popped out when they got home. They were totally shocked! My mom thought I was just there to visit for Christmas (which I told her I couldn’t do) and SURPRISE! I’m actually moving in - hahaha!

That moment, seeing their faces light up, reminded me of something I had forgotten: I wasn’t alone. I didn’t have to do everything on my own.

Progress doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a workout at midnight or swapping Boone’s Farm for something better. Sometimes it looks like showing up at home, reminding yourself of who you are, and starting again.

What’s the smallest change that ended up making a big difference in your life?

Coach Liz