People tell me all the time that traveling alone is so dangerous and I shouldn’t do it, but it has led to huge revelations of who I really am. In the same way, being single for a long time has also helped me discover things about me I would never have seen with another person. Yes, people are mirrors and reveal parts of who we are, but it’s not always easy to see.  Knowing more about myself during times of solitude has taught me my patterns. We are creatures of patterns, a.k.a., habits.  The truth is some patterns have no purpose and get in the way of our purpose.  To know yourself is to love yourself.  How well do you really know yourself?

You can’t really love someone else unless you really love yourself first; however, before you can love yourself, you must learn who you are. This is the biggest quest of life.  People I have personally trained tell me all the time how much they hate their body and that they don’t feel good enough inside to do what they want to do. Even the ones that say they “love themselves” end their first workout session in tears because during this physical breakdown, the real voices inside come up.  This comes from a number of reasons including lack of confidence, inner critics, anxiety and more. When you love yourself, amazing things happen. You make better decisions about your physical, mental and spiritual health.  You have confidence to go after the things you want (including jobs, relationships, better pay, etc).  If you love yourself, you will begin to do things that fulfill your happiness and your confidence. It will help you succeed in all ways.

We are constantly on a journey of self-discovery, which means we are always learning to love ourselves better.  We are people who change, therefore we have to keep discovering who we become because it’s only through this we can become empowered.  This important data is how we can change ourselves to become our best.  Appreciate every phase of who you are because each phase has a purpose to prepare you for the next.

Start loving yourself now, not when you get the perfect body or the perfect job–start loving yourself today. I did’t always know and love myself, so I know how hard it can be to get started. I let my parents, the media, and my friends tell me who I was. That was a huge mistake! It was only in times of being alone that I learned who I really was.  I am thankful for my single years and for alone time in general.  The quiet time was hard at first, but now I can’t live without it. As my birthday gets closer, I am looking forward to that quiet time to reflect on who I am today.

Here are some things you can do to start loving yourself today:

Find quiet time:

Whether we’re in a relationship or not, we need to carve out time daily to check in with ourselves. Take this time to meditate, breathe, and journal. Life can get so hectic, but you can spend 10 minutes every morning or before you go to bed to stop and just breathe without distractions of cell phones, TV, or anything!

Start each day with self-love:

Wake up and before you get out of bed remind yourself of what you are grateful for. I like to thank my body and mind for being healthy. Loving positive thoughts in the morning help you make healthier decisions right from the start of your day.

Move your body:

Being in tune with our body is a huge part of loving yourself and knowing yourself. Make sure to save time daily to either stretch or exercise. The issues are in our tissues. Motion creates emotion, when we move our body, emotions are revealed. We need to be aware of our emotions and don’t push aside the bad feelings, but instead acknowledge why they are there and how you can comfort them.

Do the mirror exercise: 

This is the most powerful exercise and is why I included in my fitness guide. It will feel funny at first but take some time each day to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, “I love you.” This exercise dramatically changed my self-confidence. It isn’t easy to look at yourself and admire every single thing about you, but when you learn to love all the imperfect perfections of yourself, no one can harm you. The only real enemy we have is within.

The purpose of my 50-Day Transformation was love myself better. I keep learning more about who I am becoming and I am loving every new chapter of Gia.

Today’s food & workout recap:

• Breakfast: Fasted in prayer
• Exercise: 55 mins cardio (walk incline 15, speed 2.5)
• Lunch: Protein shake with fiber boost, kale & strawberries, honey, green beans (458 cals)
• Snack: 2 protein bars (380 cals)
• Dinner: Protein shake (190 cals)

***Note: This is Day 2 of 3-day juice and lower calorie fast.

Total food calories for today: 1,028 = (139g, 45% Carbohydrates / 29g, 21% Fat / 102g, 34% Protein)

Keeping up with who we are becoming is more than a 50-day challenge. It is a life challenge–one that we never want to stop pursuing. XOXO