#fitness journey before and after

[healthyboom]

A Comprehensive Guide to Health Benefits

Health benefits encompass a spectrum of advantages that individuals attain by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and making informed choices. These encompass physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Physical health benefits include increased longevity, reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and enhanced immune function. Regular exercise improves cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength. Mental health benefits encompass reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, along with improved cognitive function and emotional resilience. A balanced diet provides essential nutrients that support overall health. Emotional health benefits stem from social connections and meaningful relationships. Collectively, these health benefits empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives with vitality and happiness.

[wellbeingstrong]

Unlocking One Secret to a Healthy Heart — Move

Unraveling the Enigma of Cardiovascular Synergy: A Journey to Optimal Heart Health

The essence of nurturing a robust and thriving heart for a lifetime of wellness is no clandestine affair. The medical fraternity has long expounded upon the indelible role of physical exertion in propagating cardiovascular well-being. But how, precisely, does this intricate symphony of heart and exercise unfold? Come, let us unfurl the tapestry of scientific brilliance that weaves this magical connection.

Decoding the Intricacies of Exercise and Cardiovascular Vitality

Engaging in the realm of physical exertion, be it through brisk pedestrianism, sprightly jogs, fluidic swimming, or rhythmical cycling, orchestrates a wondrous metamorphosis within our corporeal abode. The salient repercussion of such exertion lies in its virtuous impact on the cardiovascular system. In the throes of kinetic activity, our cardiac rhythm resounds with heightened fervor, propelling a cascade of vitalizing blood and life-nurturing oxygen to every nook and cranny of our corporeal temple. It is this harmonious symphony of regular workouts that bestows upon our heart an enhanced vigor, making it a formidable guardian of our vital essence.

Mitigating the Specter of Cardiovascular Afflictions

Inert inactivity, entwined with prolonged stasis, births a loathsome specter, cloaking the heart in vulnerability to afflictions of a cardiovascular nature. Yet, the noble pursuit of an active life emerges as a potent talisman, casting asunder the malevolent specter of heart disease. The gospel of empirical evidence is resolute in its revelation - adherents of a recurrent exercise liturgy are bestowed with a mantle of immunity against the menacing adversaries of hypertension, atherosclerosis, and the malevolent fiends known as heart attacks.

The Sorcery of Endorphins

The boon bestowed by exercise transcends the mere corporeal realm and reverberates through the ethereal abode of our minds. The mystique of this enchantment lies in the arcane alchemy of endorphins - the ethereal philters of felicity that permeate our being during the sacred ritual of physical exertion. These ethereal elixirs, renowned as "feel-good" hormones, unshackle the chains of stress, anxiety, and melancholy that afflict our psyche. In the mellifluous wake of these euphoric essences, our mental citadels are fortified, and the heart finds solace amidst the tranquil landscape of a rejuvenated mind.

Forging the Crucible of Cardiovascular Exertion

Having fathomed the profundity of exercise in fostering cardiac resplendence, we now embark on the epochal quest to forge a sustainable and efficacious regimen of corporeal devotion. Behold, the veritable grail of consistency shall be your vanguard, as the steadfast pursuit of moderate exertion surmounts the transient blaze of sporadic intensity.

1. Verily, Seek Counsel from the Custodian of Health

Before venturing upon the hallowed path of physical invocations, prostrate thyself before the custodians of health. For, they shall discern thy medical chronicles and current state of well-being, wielding their wisdom to craft a bespoke liturgy of exertion, attuned to thy unique exigencies and faculties.

2. A Gentle Prelude to a Symphonic Journey

Should thou stand as a neophyte amidst the riddles of physicality, let not trepidation tether thy strides. Embark upon a pilgrimage of low-impact parleys - the suave tango of pedestrian saunters and supple stretches. As the months wane, a crescendo of intensity shall reveal itself, an ode to the adaptability of mortal sinews.

3. A Cavalcade of Cardiovascular Embellishments

A conclave of exertions beckons thee - 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics or 75 minutes of vigorous orchestration, to be observed with ritualistic fidelity throughout the septenary's cycle. Invoke the somatic throes of running, the aqueous embrace of swimming, or the rhythmical revelry of dance, and thou shall bestow upon thy heart the nectar of rejuvenation.

4. The Ironclad Citadel of Muscular Fortitude

Bolster thy physique with the rhythmic tempests of strength training, for within this crucible of resolve shall arise the edifice of sinewy potency. Behold, the fruits of muscular ascendancy resonate far beyond mere vanity, fostering the corporeal poise prerequisite to heart health.

5. The Ballet of Flexibility and Equilibrium

As the seasons weave their tapestry, tether thyself to the ethereal ballet of flexibility and equilibrium. Emanate the yogic expanse or the tai chi's serenity, for within these graceful parleys, the sanguine specter of falls and injuries dissipates into oblivion.

May this compendium of knowledge light thy path on the venerable journey to a heart fortified by the synergy of exercise and cardiovascular splendor. Embrace the arcane profundities of these tenets, for within them lies the elixir of life, a cherished key to longevity and fulfillment.

[afitterbrittany]

my weight loss journey story

Everyone has a “something has to change” moment in their weight loss journey and this picture was part of mine.

It was July of 2019 and I was 23 years old. My thighs were chafing, I was out of breath from walking up a hill to sit down at a concert, and I hated every picture we took this day. I remember it took a couple days for my inner thighs to heal from the chafing and I was miserable.

I was about 258 pounds, I wore a 2X shirt and a 16 in jeans if I ever squeezed myself into them, most of the time it was just stretchy pants.

My mental health was horrible, I let people walk all over me, I stayed friends who people who were not good for me (lol my ex bff is in this picture), I ate takeout for pretty much every meal, I was thousands of dollars in credit card debt from buying stuff just to feel something, I wanted to be loved but I wasn’t ready to let myself be loved or be vulnerable, and I hated how I looked.

Physically I didn’t do anything. I would sleep in, arrive to work right on time, sit at my desk, go home at 5 with takeout, drink some wine, and watch tv. No walks, no gym, no hiking, no physical activity.

I dreaded summertime even though it was secretly my favorite season. I wanted to feel the sunshine on my skin but the second I had any exposed skin (like in this picture), I spent the whole day adjusting my clothes, worrying about how my cellulite and rolls looked, and extra hyper aware of the space I was taking up. I felt so self conscious. I didn’t wear a swimsuit for years.

My hands and feet were always swollen. I wore a size 11 ring and my feet would swell up in shoes so even a women’s 10 didn’t fit all day. My acne was persistent.

I wouldn’t make any changes for many months.

COVID hits the following March and I become hyper aware of my body and my health and how I can’t live like this.

I start going for long walks. I educate myself on what calories are and why protein is important and start to learn to cook. I purchase a stationary bike. I’m still too shy to go to the gym.

By the end of 2020, I have lost about 30 pounds and weigh 224. I meet Clay in February of 2021 and I weigh 207.2 pounds. I keep working on myself, flirting with him at work, and focusing on learning to love myself before I let someone in. I’m going to the gym every morning and lots of long walks.

By the end of 2021, I weigh 174 pounds. My then lowest weight. I maintain this for a few months and keep eating clean and exercising but I begin to eat takeout with Clay at work, often drinking more than I should.

In July of 2022 I weigh in at 176 but I begin taking Lexapro for my anxiety. It starts off by helping, then my appetite increases like crazy.

Clay makes a move in September 2022 and I’m like “oh I should probably be on birth control” and we start going on lots of food centered dates.

By our first anniversary thanks to my medications and a huge increase in eating out, I weigh 222.6 pounds.

We’re going to the gym every morning together at this point but our eating isn’t healthy. After talking with my therapist, I go off of Lexapro.

I maintain for about 7 months at 205.

November 2024, something clicks and we start meal prepping more together. We go for a long walk every Sunday. We only go out to eat once per week. We do more active dates.

Today in March of 2025, I weigh 172.6. I wear a size 6.5 ring, my feet are a 9, I wear a 6 in jeans and my top is a S or M. I love summer and wear what I want. My thighs don’t chafe. I love myself and I’m loved by the sweetest man alive and I plan on spending the rest of my life with him. I have no credit card debt and I know that buying things won’t fill the void inside you from not being happy with your life. I’m really active and I feel my best when my body is moving. I don’t drink that often and when I do it’s not very much. I’ve gotten rid of friends who treated me like dirt and only allow a handful of people access to my time and energy. My mental health has vastly improved.

Losing weight changed my life. I learned to love myself and in that process, let myself be loved. I’m happier and healthier and excited for the future.

[clambuoyance]

[DC] doodled these two a lot this week

[buttercupshands]

thought about this thing for a while

it was extremely interesting to just analyze myself and get like a tier list in my head

[terrible-hime]

Were u ever overweight. Or no problems with weight ??? U just did the gym and become further fit ??

I was never overweight but I was not healthy, fit, or athletic before I started training in martial arts. I started lifting weights after I stopped training martial arts because I didn't like the way my body looked. When I was younger I had lots of dizzy spells and I fainted a few times because I was under weight. Pictured is 2013 to 2023.

[crabcakesyumyum]

16:48 🥰 Another warm day, another walk.

Honestly, not my best day lol. I never intended to walk very far, 20 minutes tops, so i never bothered to change clothes into something a bit more...appropriate, in lack of a better word? So instead i wore an ill-fitting shirt that created some massive friction against my chest which caused my nipples to BURN, shorts that didn't shield my thighs against chafing, and CROCS. Yes. You read that right; I walked a bit over 7km in crocs. Yes, my feet hurts, and yes, i am now the proud owner of some cute, new blisters 😗✌️

Soooo, not a great time all in all, but not entirely horrible? At least i got to see a cat, two cute poodles, and a bunch of sheep (fun fact; I love the scent of sheep. It's so special, and i associate it w summer more than anything else. It's so comforting. I wouldn't like a sheep scented candle or anything, but catching a whiff of them while i'm out and about is nice and homey haha) + i got some fresh air!

[fezaleon]

[healthyboom]

How to Create a Successful Fitness Journey

Embarking on a fitness journey is a transformative odyssey toward better health and well-being. It involves setting personal goals, whether it's shedding pounds, building strength, or enhancing endurance. Tracking progress is the compass that guides you along the way, with fitness apps, journaling, and visual evidence as your trusty companions. Consistency is your faithful partner while celebrating small victories fuels your motivation. Staying accountable through friends or fitness communities ensures you stay the course. This voyage isn't just about physical transformation; it's about mental and emotional growth too. Your fitness journey is a story of determination, resilience, and ultimately, success.

[sarcogasmichypertrophy]

8 year difference

[thursdayg1rl]

ok omg im back from the concert

[liliavalley]

whoops. still thinking about colour show swk.

[gertlouw]

Inspiring "dad bods" transformations

Get inspired for your own fitness journey by these 5 "dad bods" that went on a 5 month accountability mission...

[stripedtabbycat]

i haven't really thought of any notable peaks/falls parallels in this most recent rewatch, despite having also recently rewatched gravity falls just at the end of last year, but the first one that came to mind actually pertains more to the tie-in books: laura's diary having pages torn out by the demon regularly abusing her and trying to get inside of her head to take full control of her body, and ford's journal having pages torn out by him to conceal knowledge of his plots against the demon regularly abusing him and trying to get inside his head to take full control of his body. and the first published version of those in-universe books retains the missing pages (although the published journal 3 mentions pages having been restored when the book was reconstituted, the book of bill reveals that there were more missing pages that for whatever reason did not make it to the restored volume - that is, if you take bill at his word on that, which you maybe shouldn't, but i prefer to take most of this as canon.)

not the most fun connection, but i definitely think it's noteworthy

[uchiha-gaeshi]

Jesus fuck I miss boxing. I’m so high on exercise endorphins rn my depression is officially cured.

[bloomeng]

This is my official Batfam Magical Girl AU Masterpost (everyone clapped)

(Updated 4/16/25)

I’m going to do a brief overview and then go into more details for those interested.

Bruce being from old money (and apparently being connected to Camelot) inherited a mysterious mineral with unknown properties. In its raw form it’s very unassuming, but when cut like gemstones and added to accessories it can be harnessed into a tool. By altering the mineral into a wearable item it allows the magic within to be channeled. The magic of the mineral connects with its wielder to create an outfit and (typically) a weapon. These outfits do not grant the wearer special abilities outside of the transformation and the weapon, but when worn the wearer is granted (what is basically) hammerspace and a nearly impenetrable outfit. The uniform granted is not something they can alter the appearance of but will change gradually overtime to reflect how the wielder has grown.

This mineral will henceforth be known as Arcanium. It operates on Kryptonite logic in that it’s— allegedly— super rare but also shows up whenever the plot needs it. (I’m aware it shares a name with a card game, but I wanted my Kryptonite spoof)

Martha Wayne unknowingly started the cycle by turning— what she thought was a rare gemstone— into a brooch. She died shortly after having it made and Alfred held onto it in her memory. Like canon Bruce goes on his journey of self-exploration to train. When he comes back he enacts his plan the way he does in Batman: Year One, where he goes out in basically just make-up, and it goes poorly. He wanders his manor trying to formulate a strategy and is drawn to his parent’s room and finds his mother’s brooch. Cue the first magical girl transformation. From there he alters the brooch to fit his bat aesthetic and the Batman Brooch is born.

Dick comes into his life the same way as canon. Bruce takes him in as a ward, Dick tries to track down Zucco on his own, etc. Bruce decides to use the other raw sample of Arcanium to turn into a second magical artifact. He lets Dick pick the theme, and thus the Robin Pendant is born. The rest is history.

(Before I continue I want to warn that I’m making shit up as I go, so some of this is subject to change as I move forward.)

The Robin Pendant is passed down from Robin to Robin. Each Robin got their own unique look while using it. Following canon, Dick and Bruce have their falling out and Dick gives up the Robin Pendant in a moment of anger. In this au I think Dick, not having the pendant to fall back on, tries to lead a vigilante-free life, but of course falls back into it. During a fight he somehow manages to stumble across Arcanium in its raw form. Recognizing it he takes it with him. Like Nightwing: Year One he has his conversation with Superman and decides to become his own hero. Using his knowledge of Arcanium from his years with Bruce he creates his own magical artifact and becomes Nightwing.

This is a good place to interject that I’m not changing any of their hero names. I was asked about it a couple times due to the caption, “Red Bow & Sailor Nightwing” on my Dick and Jason designs. It was just a silly caption, because I didn’t want to simply state “Jason and Dick Magical Girl au.” But being serious, I don’t really see a reason to change their names, with the exception of maybe Red Hood, seeing as I didn’t give him a red hood. My au operates on Sailor Moon logic where despite the lack of masks no one recognizes them, and it’s just vaguely explained by magic. I think it would be funny if Bruce chose to wear a mask anyway because he’s that paranoid, but we’ll see when I actually design him. Anyway point is Red Hood is lacking a red hood, maybe he secretly has a red hood on his jacket or maybe he really does go by Red Bow, I’ll leave that up to interpretation.

Arcanium does not just accidentally appear. At the end of the day it’s still a mineral and it’s not sentient, but the magic has an element of “the wand chooses the user.” It’s not so much a “chosen one thing,” so much as the magic can sense intention. It doesn’t care about the morality of the user, the magic is more seeking a symbiotic connection. (Meaning yes rogues can in fact wield artifacts.) Simply put, it wants a host that will be able to wield it. In its raw form the magic is dormant but it seeks to be… not dormant, so when it finds those who actually have the potential to create an artifact and use it, it reveals itself. It was not a coincidence that Martha had the inclination to have the brooch made, it was not a coincidence that Bruce was drawn to his parent’s room, and it was not a coincidence that Dick found Arcanium in the alleyway.

Each of the Bats have their origin moments with their own magical artifacts. I don’t have the whole timeline down, but I will say there was a lot of drama between Tim and Damian, because Tim was forced to hand over the pendant. Even though he technically relinquished it, emotionally the connection wasn’t severed. No one was sure if the transition would work, but Arcanium responds to whoever needs it more and therefore who will use it more. Like canon, Tim is having an awful time during that era. On top of all of it he’s had his title stripped from him and he can’t even argue because if it wasn’t the right move the pendant wouldn’t have responded to Damian. Dick tries to comfort him by telling him that Arcanium will appear for him when he’s ready, but Tim is furious and impatient. So like a well-adjusted person he decides he’s going to engineer his own magical artifact artificially. It goes as well as his attempt to clone Kon does. It’s not until Tim starts to get back on his feet that Arcanium presents itself to him. My thinking is that while Arcanium finds its users when they need it most, Tim’s case is abnormal. His acquisition of the pendant was unconventional from the start since he showed up and demanded to take on the Robin role. Arcanium is drawn to individuals who will actually use its properties. Tim tends to rely more on his own detective work, which renders the pendant’s properties pretty moot. Especially when he’s going off the deep end, he becomes a hermit meaning a) he wouldn’t really need/use Arcanium’s properties and b) he inadvertently limited his own chances of stumbling across it “in the wild.”

In a similar vein I believe Barbara’s journey is abnormal in that she forged her own Batgirl artifact that operates a little differently than the others, seeing as she made it without Bruce’s influence. After the accident she shelved it, maybe she passed it down to Cass, but eventually she gets it back. She created the Oracle identity without it, and for a long time the Batgirl artifact is something she avoids using, until she gets the idea to combine it with her computer to create a magic computer… sort of. She gets a uniform that is basically connected to the computer.

Going back to Damian needing the Robin Pendant more, its reaction to his acquisition was unique. As I mentioned previously the suits typically provide a weapon, well Damian is the exception. Unlike all the other Robin’s Damian didn’t need more weapons in his life, what he needed was guidance. For the first time the pendant granted Damian a magical animal guardian, which is how he gets Alfred the Cat in this au. Despite being an animal lover Damian is extremely pissed at this development. He wanted dual swords or a scarier animal at least. He can’t formally communicate with Alfred the Cat but he understands him intrinsically, though Alfred the Cat seems to be able to understand human speech somewhat. Only Damian seems to be able to truly understand Alfred the Cat. (Cue the antics of his siblings trying to figure out what the cat means or trying to control him in any capacity.) Besides being an animal, Alfred the Cat is also unique in that he doesn’t dissipate when Damian isn’t in uniform the way that the weapons do. Like the weapons he can be summoned by the pendant, but he seems to have existed prior to the pendant’s creation. (I’m toying with the idea that while in uniform, the cat would also get some sort of uniform.)

Before I get into Duke and his abnormalities, I want to address the Speedsters in this au. It’ll make sense after.

So the Flash. I want to say I don’t know if I will get around to creating full designs for them. I do have plans for Bart and maybe Wally, but I have determined how I want their mechanics to operate in the context of the au. Not all the heroes in this au are “magical girls,” in fact I’ve made the executive decision that you have to be human to wield an artifact. Arcanium may have magic in it, but it doesn’t grant its user magical abilities beyond the uniform itself. The speedsters retain their canon origins, hit by lighting blah blah blah, only with one key difference: they had Arcanium on them when they were hit. Instead of engineering an artifact Arcanium fused with their bodies granting them powers. I want to keep the magic transformation aspect (because it’s not a magical girl au without it), so instead of using a physical artifact as a channel for their powers, it’s instead the act of transforming that serves as a gateway to their speed abilities.

To me it was always important to maintain Batman’s identity of not having super powers and having to rely on engineering, which is why the Batfam have to physically build their artifacts. In a similar way I wanted to retain the integrity of the Flash’s identity of being meta but also still human. Which brings me back to Duke. I know in canon that Duke inherited his abilities, but for the sake of the au I’ve decide that he either had an accident when he was young in which traces of Arcanium fused with him or his parents had it in them and he inherited it from them, but regardless it’s less potent, but operates similar to the Speedsters. For years he couldn’t fully transform or use his powers and it wasn’t until— with Bruce’s guidance— he was able to create an artifact that allowed him to channel his abilities and transform. Even though he is a meta I wanted him to still have some of those Batfam qualities in there.

But what about the Superfam? They’re not human so how do their transformations work? The answer is simple: They’re not “magical girls.” At least not real ones, they’re faking. They’re not human (Kon and Jon are technically half human but they still get their abilities from their Kryptonian DNA), and thus cannot forge a connection with Arcanium. Truthfully I’m about to get silly— even sillier than this au already is— but I have decided that Clark is a fake artifact wielder. I like the idea that Batman has been operating longer than Superman has, so when Clark decided to become a hero in his own right his only example of how to style himself was from the bat themed vigilante, who might as well be a cryptid, operating out of Gotham. Only blurry pictures of him existed, so Clark designed his outfit based on his Kryptonian origins and Batman’s aesthetics. He had no idea about the existence of Arcanium or how it worked. This is also why Kon’s design looks so much like his canon outfit with a few magical girl elements (and definitely not because I think the lines in his canon suit already lend themselves well to a magical girl aesthetic and didn’t want to change much). Later when he gets to know Batman more he learns about the transformations, to which he panics and invents his own transformation using Kryptonian tech (ex: MAWS’s transformation). For years Bruce goes crazy trying to figure out Arcanium’s effects on aliens and if it grants them abilities on top of the ones they’re born with, and if Clark has plans to use it as a weapon, and how he managed to forge the connection in the first place— Clark comes clean as a fake once they reveal their identities to each other.

Side tangent but I find it hilarious that Green Lanterns are— by technicality— already “magical girls,” considering they’re granted magical accessories that give them powers and transform their clothing. Hal is very clear with the JL that he is nothing like Batman and constantly feels the need to assert that he is not a magical artifact wielder. The non-human members of the team still lump them together anyway.

Things I haven’t figured out:

- what each of the batfam’s weapons are

- what each of the magical artifacts are

- what to refer to magical artifact wielders as

Stepping outside the canon(?) lore of the au for a minute, obviously I’m redesigning DC characters using inspiration from a genre, because that’s what “magical girl” is. It’s a genre. This is why I refer to it in quotes and don’t call them magical boys, because I am always referring to it as a genre, which isn’t a gendered thing. However, in universe they wouldn’t call themselves magical anything, the same way the characters of Sailor Moon don’t refer to themselves as magical girls, but rather Sailor Scouts. As of right now I’m sort of just referring to them as artifact wielders, but I feel like Bruce would come up with a better name. On a similar note, throughout this whole thing I’ve been referring to Arcanium in it’s wearable state as an artifact. I don’t know if that’s the best term, but I can’t think of anything better for the generalized form of Arcanium outside of it’s raw state. For now I guess it will be “artifacts” and “artifact wielders.”

- how the wonderfam fits into this

I really can’t think of a reason why Wonder Woman would be a “magical girl” in this au. She was born with abilities, she’s not human, and I can’t see her altering her uniform to match the aesthetic. A transformation would just be a waste of time for her. I could to see maybe Cassie or Donna wanting to match with their respective teams, and perhaps maybe that’s why they would alter their uniforms? All I know is I want see Tim, Kon, Bart and Cassie as a matching “magical girl set.”

Fin… for now.

[I’m just going to put this here preemptively, because I’ve gotten messages about turning my au into fics or tiktok skits. You’re free to use this lore HOWEVER you MUST credit me not just for the designs but for the creation of the lore. I’ve put a lot of time and thought into this and I love that people love it, so I just ask for recognition. If you want to make something that’s inspired by my designs or loosely based on my au, just a simple credit for the inspiration is fine. You’re free to change things this is just how my own au operates. Regardless I would prefer to be tagged so that people can find me but also because I’d love to see other’s work.]

Current designs: