This is My Story

Fitness Story- Gina Amin

Sharing my personal fitness journey has been a long time coming and I’ve always been a little insecure about my past lifestyle. When I was growing up as a teenager, I was much more likely to be found at a bar, partying with friends or at home watching Netflix. I stayed up late and would always wake up past noon – I never had a morning. To make matters worse I had an unhealthy diet. These unhealthy habits fatigued me – I kid you not, I used to have a 2-hour nap every day. The last thing on my mind was to go workout.

The summer of 2015 was when things began to shift. It was a summer where all my friends wanted to go to the beach CONSTANTLY. I was always so hesitant to agree to these plans because I absolutely hated my body. I first want to get one thing off my chest; I never thought I was fat. However, I was not satisfied with how I looked. I hated being in a bathing suit; I really didn’t like having my stomach out and my cellulite out in the open for everyone to see. I was one of those girls who never wore shorts in the summer – only pants. I was slowly starting to realize that I couldn’t continue saying no to these plans because of my insecurities. I had to start doing something about how I felt because I genuinely felt horrible. I was so disappointed in myself, I felt like I had wasted so much valuable time when I could have been working on my mental health, my self-image and my lifestyle. I had a week where all I did was cry because I was so unhappy with myself. This was when I decided to change my life around. The first thing I did was go to the gym.

I had no clue what the fuck I was doing in there. I cannot even explain how nervous I was. All I could see was testosterone everywhere; sweat dripping down everyone’s tomato red faces and veins bulging out of their necks. I was incredibly intimidated and all I wanted to do was go home and hide under my covers. However, I pushed myself and started on the treadmill (to be honest this was where most of the girls were). I ran on the treadmill for about 30 minutes, did a few sets of squats and called it a day. I did this routine maybe 3 days a week for the next month. I slowly began to incorporate other exercises as time passed and I gradually realized that I was beginning to enjoy this. The strain I put on my muscles excited me.

After this, I started following numerous fitness icons on Instagram, I did research on functionalities of the body and how the body works, I watched YouTube videos on super foods and fitness tips. I educated myself every single day. Then I really started to lift weights. I continued this for a few months and I ended up seeing results quickly. After seeing my results week by week, it motivated me to push harder. I ramped up my training volume from 4 times a week to 6. I had to train. This was when I got absolutely obsessed. I started to also incorporate healthy eating, making sure I portion properly and cut out junk food. Of course I do not have a strict diet, but I am much more conscious of what I eat.

Now, I am so unbelievably in love with working out and living a healthy lifestyle. The first thing I think about when I wake up is “When can I squeeze a workout today?” I continue to educate myself on the human body, all the brilliant muscles we have, and how I can better myself. I live a much healthier lifestyle now (with an appropriate amount of sleep, no naps) and I successfully completed my Personal Training Certificate. This is to further educate others and myself in the vast world of fitness.  I love discovering new workouts, hitting personal records is an unreal feeling, and I love seeing changes to my body – I want everyone to realize how wonderful being active is, and the euphoric sensation that comes along with it. It’s all about balance. It’s all about giving your body the nutrients and movement it needs to keep it healthy. Most importantly, its about being happy with who you are. 

My fitness journey will never be a finished series, your body changes everyday & it’s a life long commitment to a healthier lifestyle. It’s just finding what works for you at that moment & what makes you happy. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my story as much as I have enjoyed sharing it. I don’t know how many people will read this, but if I can just help or inspire one person, then that’s fulfilling enough for me.