Give it some "Soul"

"To every one in this room - I see you, and I believe in you. If you're feeling exhausted and contemplating giving up, tell yourself that this matters." - Today's Soul Cycle Instructor

My fitness journey has had its ups and downs - and not just on the scale.

When I was fresh off my year studying abroad and preparing to start college, I was up twenty pounds from my average weight. This wasn't a completely awful thing, because it meant I was full of glögg, prinsesstårta, and a variety of other delicious Swedish food. But I was uncomfortable in my skin, my clothes never seemed to fit right and my face was always pudgy and swollen. So I decided to do something about it - and thus started the first chapter of my fitness journey.

I'll spare you the gory details, but it basically measured down to this - a clean diet and long gym sessions. Over a year period, I not only surpassed my average weight, but lost an additional ten pounds. I felt incredible - my mood improved, I gained confidence, and saw results for all of my hard work. I kept the weight off throughout college.

Graduation came and passed. I moved from Flagstaff, Arizona up to Seattle, Washington to pursue a career in communications and to be closer to my boyfriend. Jumping into a 9-5 job ruined my workout and eating schedule. I didn't have all of the free hours that I had the luxury of in college - no random blocks of time throughout the day to do what I wanted with.

Then I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism.

I gained the normal weight that most people gain after starting their career and moving across the country. But then I gained more, and then some more, and then my hair started falling out. My nails became brittle. I started drinking five cups of coffee a day because I was falling asleep at my desk. I became lethargic and felt hopeless.

The Hypothryoidism diagnosis came as a huge relief. I started medication right away and my symptoms disappeared. All except the weight - at this point I was up sixty pounds.

Thus started the second chapter of my fitness journey.

If I'm being honest, I'm still in the process of writing this chapter. All of our bodies are different, so I'm testing as many programs as I can to see what my body likes and responds to.

What have I tried so far?

• Skinny Mint Teatox (Honestly, I did not see any results with this teatox. To be fair, I only made it about 16 days in to the 30-day program. Includes two types of teas - a day and a night. Serves primarily as a laxative.)

• My Fitness Pal (Great free resource! If you already have a pretty good food routine established, this will merely help you tighten things up. Comes complete with a barcode scanner.)

• Going Vegan (So, this is not really a program, but I thought I'd take a stab at it. The first week was really difficult, but once you try new recipes and dishes, it gets a bit easier. I did not lose any weight doing this, as my meat proteins ended up being replaced with starches and carbs so that I would stay full. This is the ultimate reason I ended up back on an omnivore diet.)

• Weight Watchers (I saw the best results using this method. There are multiple levels of programs you can buy - I went with the online app and in-person meetings. I lost ten pounds the first month of the program. Then life got hectic, and I couldn't dedicate the time that I needed to in order to get results. I ended up cancelling because of this.)

• CURRENT METHOD: Soul Cycle (Okay, so this isn't really a method or a program - it's just fun! I had been having bad luck with spin class teachers, so I decided to try out Soul Cycle due to its popularity and positive reviews. Classes are incredibly challenging, but are balanced out with catchy music, good dance moves, and inspiration.)

When (not if) I get back to my goal weight, my fitness journey will not be over. I'm going to spend my life working on being the best version of myself. I'm making it my mission to push my body - provide it with rich and healthy foods, challenge it with new rhythms and moves, and ultimately treat it with love.

Photo Courtesy of Her Campus