The Discipline Shift

I’ve been overweight pretty much my entire life, and ironically, I gained the most confidence at my heaviest. I learned how to love myself regardless of what the scale said. But eventually, I realized that loving myself also meant taking care of myself.

In 2021, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and that was my wake-up call. I lost almost 100 pounds, but by 2023, I had gained about 60 pounds back. Life happened, my lifestyle changed, and I found myself struggling to lose it again.

Then March 2026 came.

My mentor at the time told me he had gone to the gym 26 out of 28 days in February. It was such a simple statement, but something about it clicked for me.

I locked in.

I went to the gym 97 days straight.

Some days I had a full workout. Other days I literally went just to walk a mile. 😂 But I went. It wasn’t always about how hard I worked. It was about teaching myself to show up even when I didn’t feel like it.

That’s where the discipline came from.

Since then, I’m down 30 pounds, and what makes this moment even crazier is that I’m now only 8 pounds away from the weight I reached when I originally lost almost 100 pounds. After gaining 60 pounds back and struggling for years to lose it again, being this close means something different this time.

I don’t feel like I have to go to the gym every single day anymore, but 4–6 days a week is mandatory for me. At this point, the discipline is already there. The gym is simply part of my lifestyle.

Of course, I love watching my body change. I love getting stronger and seeing the progress, but that’s not the main reason I go anymore.

This gym is a lifestyle for me.

I think about the fact that everybody doesn’t have the ability to do what I can do. Some people don’t have legs. Some people don’t have good health. So why would I take for granted the fact that I can walk into a gym, move my body, lift weights, and become stronger?

I’ve genuinely grown to love this fitness journey, not just because of how my body is shaping, but because of how it makes me feel mentally and internally. The gym makes me feel GOOD.

This has truly been a journey, and I’ve had my ups and downs with my weight. But this time, I will see it through.

Not because I’m chasing a transformation.

Because this is my lifestyle now. 💪🏾

Happy Fitness Friday💙 #HerBodyWork #ShakiraJ