Fit by AJ

“I want to get fit and be healthy but I don’t know where to start. Help!”

I was in the same situation when I started my journey. Actually I’ve been in this situation several times throughout my life. I have tried and failed with diet and exercise countless times. I could never get anything to stick. I would get started, lose some weight, and then my plans would fall through and I would gain it all back, then some! Sound familiar?

In the last 9 months, I have managed to lose over 85 pounds steadily and consistently. Of course, I have found a happy balance between nutrition and exercise. But in order to do that, I had to have the right mindset to start changing my life and creating healthy habits.

I have put together 6 steps to help you get started on your journey! Along with proper nutrition and a great training plan, these are sure to get you off to a great start!

1. Commit to a Healthier Future
Your health and wellness means so much more than a good looking body, six pack abs, and big muscles. All of that stuff is great but what matters more is how you take care of your body, your temple. Longevity and prosperity is the goal here! You have to commit yourself now to a healthy lifestyle in order to achieve those. Trust me, your family will thank you. Don’t think for a second that self-care and self-love is selfish. You want to take care of your family and loved ones? Take care of yourself first. Make a commitment to yourself.

2. Take Small Easy Steps
Once you realize how important your health is, it’s time to put that commitment into action! You should start with small and slow changes. They will eventually lead to small victories the will add up to huge results! Making too many changes too fast will create a recipe for burnout and your motivation will suffer. Don’t worry, slow and steady wins the race and is much more sustainable in the long run. Again, a long and prosperous life is what we are aiming for. So if you think about it, you have all the time in the world to conquer your goals!

3. Decide on Discipline
So what do we do when our motivation runs dry? Basically…suck it up. Just do it anyways. Wake up tired and snooze your alarm because you want to miss your workout? That’s on you. You have to decide for yourself to stay disciplined throughout your journey. I’m not saying you have to be a robot and operate like clockwork. A missed workout is fine. Being disciplined means that even after a small setback, you are able to get right back on track like it never happened. Keep on keeping on no matter what!

4. Find Out What You Love and Do That
Losing motivation doing something you hate is inevitable. It’s bound to happen! To be successful in anything, you have to find what clicks, find your passion. You hate lunges, but you love squats? Do more squats. You hate spinach but you love broccoli? Eat more broccoli. You can’t force yourself to like one thing or another. Do what makes you happy and fall in love with the process.

5. Be Persistent and then Be Consistent
If you are persistent, you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it. Be relentless in your pursuit of your health and wellness! Find what your favorite healthy foods are, find what workouts keep you going back for more! Don’t stop until you have your happy mixture between nutrition, exercise, and life! Then keep a consistent routine with all of it. This will lead to years and years of a happy and healthy life.

6. Surround Yourself with Like-Minded People
Got it all down? Great! You’re in the club! Now it’s time to find people who are on the same mission you are and feed off each other’s vibes. Find a workout partner or a group that loves to get together often to hit a workout together! Find someone who loves to cook healthy meals and exchange recipes. Engage in conversation with others on your new favorite fitness page! You know, the one with the red eagle for a logo. Whatever you do, surround yourself with people like you! Crazy fitness enthusiasts who eat like rabbits and workout 4 times a day. Ok I’m kidding. But you get it.

Hey you, thanks for reading through to the end! I know it can be a little daunting when you are starting something new. It can feel overwhelming not knowing where to begin. With the support of the #SoarHigh community, I promise we can all get there! We can hold each other accountable, pick each other up when we’re down and be healthy together! Follow these steps and you will be on your way! Don’t forget to share your “secrets” with your friends! Spread the good word.

“Your beginnings will seem humble. So prosperous will your future be.” – Job 8:7

– AJ

You guys may be wondering where I discovered the idea of #SoarHigh. I use it on the majority of my fitness posts. I use it across my branding for my fitness business. I have turned it into the primary slogan for my business and even named the Fit by AJ community the “#SoarHigh Team.” Why #SoarHigh? What is the significance?

I developed this slogan based on my favorite bible verse. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.”

My journey started with wanting to renew my strength physically. Then as I got further into my fitness journey I realized that fitness was not only about strengthening my body but also my mind. Even more so, my faith and trust in our Lord was strengthened. I remember that last rep at the end of a hard workout when the only thing that was getting me through was hope and a prayer. Better yet, the last mile of my half marathon when I fought to hold back tears and could literally feel Him pushing me to finish the last bit of 13.1 miles. Or when I was so sore and so tired and I just wanted to throw in the towel and forget the whole thing, and then God said “keep going.”

But the most compelling part of this whole journey has been how every day while I realized my strength physically, I realized my strength mentally and spiritually. My faith and trust in God grew with every passing day. The more I started to learn how much Jesus loves me, the more I started to love me. When that happened, I made taking care of my body my first priority so that I could serve my Lord in the best way possible.

So I created a brand around this idea in hopes of inspiring others to get fit and be healthy so that we all may #SoarHigh in everything we do. As a community I hope to be able to support each other on this fitness journey and build each other up as we strive for similar goals.

In fitness, health, life, love, faith and everything else, we are all family here! Welcome! Thanks for being here.

– AJ