Love vs. Kale

So here we are, opening day of Momentum Weight Loss & Training Center. I can’t even begin to explain what a whirlwind this is for me. Thinking back to my initial meeting with the banker to discuss Momentum, I didn’t imagine that he would say yes- let alone help me find a place to house my wild idea. Throughout this process, I’ve had to get past the words of doubt, not only from myself, but friends and family. It may sound crazy to live apart from my husband for a year of my life, but not having to pick up dirty clothes off the floor next to the hamper seems like a great idea. All jokes aside, it’s mostly my husband who has helped this dream come to fruition. He’s traveled every weekend with me for the last eight weeks to help me prepare for the opening of Momentum.

As I am reflecting on all of the work we’ve put in, and the stress of making everything perfect, I have tears running down my cheeks. These are tears of happiness, excitement, and being totally scared shitless. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who never feels like I am quite good enough, worthy of being happy, or successful. So when I first thought about opening Momentum, I thought that I would have to be skinny, muscular, and have a killer business degree from a fancy university along with six pack abs that I show off on TikTok. That was terrifying. Instead of letting all of those fears get in my way, I jumped in with both feet.

The name Momentum Weight Loss & Training Center came about mainly because Momentum Wellness was already taken. I didn’t want people to think that the only thing they were going to get out of being part of this program was weight loss. Although weight loss is going to come with a program like this, the overall goal is to help future clients put themselves first, to help them realize they have to become their biggest priority. Losing weight and becoming healthy has a mental picture that comes along with it, one society has given us. When we think of weight loss we think that It means you have to eat kale, feel starvation, and run miles upon miles. However, this truly isn’t the case. Losing weight certainly starts with a plan, which may involve eating kale, but more importantly it needs to start with love for yourself. I wish that I could see all the hands raised when I ask how many people have gone on a “diet”, because they hate how they look or hate the number on the scale. “Diets” have such a negative connotation to them. What if this one time you decided to lose weight because you valued your body, and celebrated what it is capable of, instead of it being a punishment for having to go up a jean size?

Since we are being real, let’s take this just one step further. What if, each day when you woke up you took just a moment to choose who you wanted to be? And what if when you were deciding who you wanted to be you used words like strong, confident, healthy, loved, beautiful, caring, empathetic, reliable, etc.? Do you see where I’m going with this? You are in control. No matter what is happening in your life, you get to be in control of you. How you react, how you treat yourself, and how you speak to yourself is always your choice. So, the next time you start down the rabbit hole of negative self-talk (my butt looks big, this shirt shows my back fat, ugh my cellulite) close your eyes, pretend you are just waking up for the day and decide who you want to be for the rest of the day. When we practice, we get better. Those positive qualities that have made up who you are for the majority of your life will get the credit they deserve.

Beginning this business, in a town where I don’t know but just a few people is the most uncomfortable thing I’ve done up to this point in my life. Five years ago, my list of uncomfortable hard things would have been going through a divorce, my children leaving the nest, getting remarried, changing careers. This my friends, tops them all! Every day I wake up, lay in my bed and I get to choose that I am going to be the best damn coach I can be. I’m going to eat healthy food to fuel my workouts, and I’m going to love on all the people in my life just a little more than yesterday.