RECOMMITTING TO FITNESS (AFTER FALLING OFF):
Life has been a whirlwind this past year. Between running my practice and taking on a government contract, my schedule was ridiculously packed. My husband stepped in to help with more of the home duties, but even with the extra support, I found myself struggling to balance everything—especially when it came to fitness. Managing my rest also became a huge hurdle, and with exhaustion creeping in, my fitness routine took a backseat. But now, I’m recommitting, and I’m doing it with intention.
Setting Goals That Stick
When working with therapy clients, I use a structured approach to goal-setting that goes beyond vague intentions. I ask them what their goals are and instead of simply accepting it when they say, “I want to be happy,” I encourage them to define what that looks like in real, tangible actions. Maybe it’s not crying every day, spending weekends with friends instead of isolating, or stopping negative self-talk. From there, we identify any barriers to those tangible actions and create a plan to make those actions happen.
I took that same ole approach with my fitness journey. My first broad goal? Be consistent in the gym. The second? Make it through my workouts.
What are my tangible actions? Well first, I needed to know when I was going to go to the gym so I created, a viable schedule—one that worked with my life instead of against it. I planned my workouts around my most productive times of the day and my responsibilities. I set a couple non-negotiable workout slots early in the morning before my day got away from me and a few in the evenings.
…And my barriers? To complete my workouts, I had to make sure I was getting enough rest, fueling my body properly, and modifying my workouts to meet me where I was then and not where I’d been in the past. Instead of diving back into high-intensity workouts that I wasn’t ready for, I scaled back—fewer reps, fewer exercises, and gradual progression.
Fueling My Body the Right Way
Nutrition is key, and I made sure to fuel my body with the right supplements and whole foods. My daily routine includes:
Source of Life liquid vitamins for a broad nutrient profile
Seamoss for minerals and overall wellness
Vitamin D, copper, and vitamin B complex for energy and immune support
Fish oil for healthy fats and inflammation reduction
Protein shakes a few times a week to aid muscle recovery
Primarily whole foods—which means minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean meats. These foods are nutrient-dense and provide the essential vitamins and minerals my body needs to perform well.
Lean meats like chicken, turkey, and fish for quality protein sources
Don’t get me wrong- I have a little trash from time to time. I do, though, make it an excpetion, and not the rule.
Prioritizing Sleep & Recovery
I quickly realized that I needed at least 7 hours of sleep to feel fully rested and able to make it through both my workday and workouts. On nights when I got less, my energy tanked, my workouts felt sluggish, and recovery took longer.
To prioritize sleep, I implemented a bedtime routine that helps me wind down:
Taking a relaxing bath before bed
Using a light, calming scent to trigger relaxation
Not responding to late-night messages or emails
Keeping my room cool and dimly lit
I also created a wake-up routine that includes listening to relaxing lofi music to help me start my day as stress-free and gently as possible.
Now that I’m pretty consistent. I’ve set a new general goal: Body Recompositioning!
Understanding Spot Reduction & Body Recomposition
What is body recompositioning? Well to understand that, you would need to understand spot reduction. One common fitness myth is spot reduction, which is the idea that you can lose fat in a specific area of your body by targeting it with exercises. However, fat loss doesn’t work that way—your body loses fat overall based on factors like diet, genetics, and exercise. This means that while I’m focusing on reducing fat around my abs, the only way to do that is through overall fat loss all over my body rather than endless ab exercises. Don’t freak out! We can protect the booties! I can add more muscle mass to areas where I have lost fat, such as my legs or glutes, through strength training and time under tension (TUT) techniques. By building muscle in these areas, I can enhance their shape and definition while improving overall body composition.
This method, body recompositioning, does take longer than traditional weight loss approaches but has yielded me favorable results throughout my transformation in the past. Instead of waiting for a big payoff at the end, I get to see ongoing progress (and look good) as my body gradually shifts. Hey, call me vain and impatient—I’ll take it!
Building Strength with Time Under Tension
So I mentioned building mass. How do I do that? In training, I’m using progressive overload by increasing intensity with weight increase and time under tension (TUT). TUT refers to the total amount of time a muscle is under strain during a set. The longer the muscle is engaged, the greater the potential for hypertrophy (muscle growth) and endurance gains.
The Tempo Method
One way I’m increasing TUT is through the tempo method. For example, in squats, instead of dropping down and coming back up quickly, I slow down the eccentric phase (the lowering phase) to 3-4 seconds, pause for a second at the bottom, and then push up explosively. This results in approximately 6 seconds per rep versus a typical 4-second rep, effectively increasing TUT and subsequently stimulating greater hypertrophy (muscle growth).
Beyond strength training, I’m incorporating Pilates, running, and other activities for flexibility, mobility, and overall movement variety. Recovery is a priority, too, so I’m staying on top of stretching, mobility work, foam rolling, and regular massages.
Tracking My Progress
With my original goals, I gauged progress based on consistency and performance- whether or not I showed up, how I felt before a workout, my energy levels, endurance, recovery time, and overall improvement. I also paid special attention to strength gains—if I’m lifting heavier or completing exercises with better form, I know I’m improving. This is another reason why I record my workouts-to really see my form when I am fully rested.
Now, that my focus is on body recomposition, I use different methods. One thing I DO NOT use is a scale! I may jump on out of curiosity as to what my weight is but never to measure progress. It's the devil when your goal is to recomposition. Why do I say that? Well, since muscle weighs more than fat, the number on the scale might actually go up, but that doesn’t mean I’m not making progress! Instead, I track my progress through 4 ways: visual aides, clothing, measurements, and like before, overall feeling.
With visual aides, I use progress pictures and videos that I generally designate for content on my Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok accounts. This allows me to share my journey visually. However, there are some that I keep simply for progress tracking. I pay attention to how my target areas are changing. I also look at how the stuff I may not care about as much (cause I care about it all), like the muscles around my knee or lower thigh are developing. Every little bit counts- it's all progress!
Using clothing means I'll check to see how a favorite dress or pair of pants fits, and whether certain areas feel tighter or looser. Sometimes, growing out of something is a good things. If my quads and glutes are growing to the point that I have to give a way a pair of pants, ya girl is celebrating!
Additionally, I monitor actual measurements with a measuring tape in the key areas I want to see change - my waist, hips, glutes, and thighs so I can view changes over time. Most importantly, I focus on how I feel overall—stronger, more energized, and more confident.
Moving Forward
This journey isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up, adjusting, and pushing forward. If you’re on your own fitness journey (or thinking about starting), know that setbacks happen, but they don’t define the future. Let’s keep moving, keep growing, and enjoy the process together! See my workouts and all my goals in action on Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, & Facebook @loveplayliftrepeat.
Written by Terri Williams-Whiteside 1/31/2025
