In order to provide you, my readers, with clarity on a subject that I find that I can talk about for hours, I would first like to identify a problem I see a lot and that is overthinking your lifestyle, whether you are a Vegan or a well-seasoned gym-goer, beginner and even runner.

For some reason, whenever I bring up lifting weights or fitness to an average person, there tends to be an overarching negative resistance towards the subject. I think that, just like with any other type of lifestyle choice, the fitness “freaks”, and the people who are committed to changing themselves via their health face a lot of resistance from the general status quo, add to that, being a Vegan (rejecting meat-eating) who is committed to changing their bodies and everybody seems to lose their minds over how their lifestyle choice differs from yours.

Staying motivated at the gym via accumulating enough gym experience is one part, it is a necessary foundation. The important part of fitness is the concentric, eccentric, technique, the knowledge, the “pump”, the iron dragon, and the ever-changing goals that provide a zest for life.

Staying motivated at the gym all comes down to how badly you want to stay in shape, and furthermore, being successful as non-meat eating bodybuilder (weightlifter/fitness fanatic) comes with ever so much resistance on the subject that in itself, oversimplifies a lifestyle that provides so much personal satisfaction. We must always remember to stay positive and hold ourselves to a standard that many could not imagine would bring them joy. It sucks for them, because being an avid fitness enthusiast comes with its own set of life lessons. Here are some of mine, which I wish to share with you.

1. Being successful at fitness comes with accepting that your lifestyle choices are your own. If you are a beginner at the gym, simply understanding that when you start making these types of choices for yourself, you will face resistance in many forms should make you more aware of just how worthy of a cause getting into physical shape can be.
2. Your body is a machine, it is an engine, and it will go wherever your mind wants it to go. Visualize your success and plan to execute, when it comes to being physically fit, you need to plan ahead. You need to understand that the undertaking of transforming your body comes with emotional setbacks as well, and that if your goal is to become physically fit, whether it is by building muscle mass or losing weight, you will physically look different, your emotional life however is going to transform as well. When you become fit you will understand how staying positive despite setbacks can be one of the most important assets that can apply to relationships, work, etc.
3. It all boils down to making your lifestyle work for you and not against you. Simply, the inner resistance is easy to overcome once you get into the habit of working out. I divide them into physical, mental and energetic (emotional) obstacles, you will face them in any area of your life. With fitness, the mental part includes: focus, intensity, drive. (see them as skills, worthy of developing) The physical part of fitness: building muscle mass, losing body fat, recovering from injury. (these are goals, require planning and are the best part once the plan is properly executed) The less spoken about part of fitness is the emotional part of fitness: dealing with life (stress), dealing with setbacks (plateau, travelling, social life), toxic people (you know the kind), tragedy, and loss. Fitness is a journey that I promise, in its own way will transform your ability to cope with stress, it will increase your will to help those who are in a bad place, and in general, will make you a better person by means of your objective stance, I believe, and this may not apply to you, but fitness is the best coping mechanism a human being living in 2019 can have. Even though it can be glorified, overcomplicated/simplified, criticised, obsessed over, it indisputably can have tremendous impact, (positive/negative) depending on how you go about it. Aim to make it the most positive lifestyle ever.
4. Be bold and assertive with your desire to grow. If life weighs you down, remember that your inner drive that works against you is a good predictor of just how worthy your goal is. This is commonly misconstrued as self-denial, “pain is the enemy”, “what does not kill you makes you stronger” used in marketing ads to promote a lifestyle in such an aggressive and hostile way. Have it be what it is, it is still a worthy endeavor, with its ups and downs. Be bold and commit to yourself with the desire to grow, to level up and to transform your life for the better.
5. Stick up for your fellow Vegans: Living a cruelty-free life and on top of that, one that does not promote the death of animals in any way, shape or form has a meaning that transcends “popular and accepted knowledge”. Stand up for it, live for it, and be true to your ethical choice not to kill animals for future generations. Your desire to grow muscle will not be handicap and is perfectly achievable provided that you are eating at a surplus. Veganism is rewarding in and of itself because it serves something bigger than you. Any resistance on the subject of Veganism, by meat-eaters or not, is a reflection of their own limited understanding/conflicting lifestyles. Remain positive, be bold, be fit, vibrant and reveal your true strong self.