I'm Getting Healthier (Not Bulking!)

There are certain fitness terms that I just can't for the life of me seem to like, simply because they sound a little to 'broscience-y' to me.

Examples? Cutting. 'Cheat' meals. Macros. Bulking.

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That last one? Definitely not my favorite, considering I'm sorta kinda doing something very similar to it right now.

I'm a tall, lanky teenage girl who really wants to put on muscle so I have a headstart when I become a figure competitor one day (and trust me, it'll happen!). Not only that, but I need to put on weight in general, just for health purposes. 

Lovin' those thin pins! They've gotten bigger :)

I have, in fact, already gained 10 lbs. in the last five months. Now that may seem like nothing to many of you, but it means the world to me. I can't seem to hold onto much weight because I live such an active lifestyle, so any pounds that stay on me are welcome to do just that, stay. 

I know that when I return to school in August, people will be surprised. They might think "Wow, I thought that girl was a fitness nut, but she seemed to gain a few pounds. I guess she's not what she thinks she is." This goes along with the assumption that to be truly 'fit,' you have to lose weight. I'd love to prove that wrong. If I come back a little heavier than previously, but with much needed muscle and yes, fat (we DO need some fat to be healthy), than people can think what they choose to think. But I know inside myself that what I am doing to my body is for the best. 

Eating more quantities of food is not the easiest thing, believe it or not. I know that sounds kind of stupid, I mean no one should complain about eating all the time. It sounds like paradise, right? Well, not exactly, and here's why. First of all, it's very easy to have disordered thoughts. They go along the lines of "Well, I don't really need this extra bit of food. It's way too much and I don't want to get fat." It's so mentally challenging pushing those negative thoughts out and it calls for much more effort than someone who doesn't understand could ever imagine. Second, if you can drop weight easily, like me, any time you go for long periods of time without eating or get SICK (this is my downfall, unfortunately) you basically negate a lot of the hard work and just lose the weight again, so it can be an uphill and downhill battle from the start.

I have been pretty good with it but I am actually going to kick it up a notch. I'll be eating more, and at more frequent times. I am not even worried about numbers. I'm not 'cutting', so the numbers are not that important to me. I don't like telling myself that I am 'bulking' though. I'm not. I am simply getting healthier! 

I am not putting on the weight by eating crap either. Sure, it's easy to just eat nasty, unhealthy foods and gain weight but if I want to be as healthy as possible, I am going to do it the right way by fueling myself with healthy, clean foods. It may be 'harder' but I feel like it is definitely worth it. I'm eating mostly (in larger quantities) lean protein, like chicken and lean steak, complex carbs, like sweet potatoes (TONS of these) and brown rice, healthy fats (my personal fave) like natural peanut butter and avocadoes, and tons of fruit. 

These babies + peanut butter = pure heaven.

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My tip for people going through the same thing as me is to just keep pushing through it. I'm sure if you work out a lot, you push through those workouts with little to no difficulty. Now do it with this. You may not want to eat because you're still full. Your mind may be telling you that you are getting 'fat' but don't let it. It's wrong. You are getting healthy. Dump all those negative thoughts to the side and stay strong. Another thing I recommend is NOT over-obsessing with the scale. The scale does not account for the ratio of muscle, fat and bones that you possess. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if the number goes up, don't jump to conclusions. And if you're trying to gain weight, don't let a few dwindling numbers prevent you from pushing harder. You can do it. I weigh myself maybe once every two or three weeks because that's just about how frequently I should be checking for the sole purpose of monitoring my progress. And lastly, find a few people who will support you. Make sure they ask you how your progressing, reminding you to get your calories in, and to put you in a positive mindset. I have my family, my trainer, and a few buddies at the gym who have done this wonderfully, so a big thank you to them.

As always, I am here to talk or listen to anybody that needs help with this. I have ears and a voice and I am ready to use them. Please let me know if anyone needs help with this difficult topic.

Questions: Are you 'bulking' or as I like to call it, getting healthier? What's the hardest and easiest part to you? Do you ever have negative thoughts?

For me, the hardest part is not letting my mind do the talking, but allowing my body to. The easiest part is obviously the endless consumption of sweet potatoes and extra tablespoons of nut butter, but I'm sure you all knew that. ;) Happy Wednesday!

P.S. I hear it's someone's birthday today... ehmm Meg... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! <3

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