Hey there. When it comes to health and fitness, who has influenced your journey the most? Have you ever stopped to think about why you do certain things—whether it’s following a specific workout plan, tracking macros, or buying expensive supplements? A lot of what we do in fitness isn’t because we truly enjoy it. It’s because we’ve been influenced by someone else.
Social media makes this even trickier. We see perfectly staged meals, progress photos with the right lighting, and expensive boutique gym memberships, and we think... maybe I need to do all of that too. But do you?
Fitness Should Be Built Around Your Preferences
The reality is, you don’t need high-quality, expensive ingredients for every meal. You don’t need a complicated macro plan or a trendy workout program. You don’t need to track points, earn blue dots, or be part of a fitness cult.
Fitness should be about what works for you.
If that means walking for exercise and tracking your progress in a notebook, that’s fine. If that means eating simple meals with plenty of produce and protein, that works too. The only thing that matters is whether you enjoy it enough to keep doing it.
Are You Actually Enjoying Your Fitness Process?
So many people go through the motions, trying to fit into an ideal they don’t actually like. You can tell by the way they talk about their routines. They’re frustrated. They feel trapped. They see fitness as something they have to do, not something they enjoy.
If that’s you, it’s time to ask yourself two important questions:
✔️ Why am I doing this?
✔️ Do I actually enjoy it?
If the answer to the second question is no, change something. There’s no rule that says you have to follow someone else’s version of fitness. Do what makes you feel good and what you can stick with.
Choosing Positivity and Supporting Others
Another huge piece of this is who you surround yourself with. I recently put up a post on Instagram about the people who bring the most positivity to my feed. Many of them responded, saying, “I’m not always positive.” That stuck with me because none of us are.
We all get frustrated, irritated, and angry. But here’s the key—how quickly do you recognize it, and how do you respond?
You can make a difference in your own mindset and in someone else’s day. When you see someone struggling on social media, don’t just scroll by. Don’t just leave a quick “you got this” comment. Send them a real message. Take five seconds to offer encouragement that actually means something.
It doesn’t take much, and you never know how much someone needs to hear it.
How Will You Shape Your Own Fitness Journey?
So I want to hear from you. Who has influenced your approach to fitness? Are you doing what you enjoy, or are you just following what you think you’re “supposed” to do?
Join the conversation, and if you’re ready to build a sustainable fitness routine that works for you, join The YLF Experience.