WORKS WITH APPLE & ANDROID<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_cta][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.2″ text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.8em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]<\/p>\n
I once read an advertisement from a local gym titled, \u201cCALLING ALL EX-ATHLETES”<\/em><\/strong>. If I ever waited for a call like that to make an attempt to pursue my athletic prowess as a maturing (eh hem) adult, I never would have responded because\u2026I NEVER in my life considered myself an athlete. So, you may be surprised to find that I did play basketball for 3 years out of my high school career and was pursued by the women\u2019s basketball coach in college to try out for the team, to which I respectfully declined saying something like, \u201cMy skills are not up to par with college level athletics.\u201d I think the coach tried to encourage me otherwise but my lack of confidence was simply too strong to counteract the nudge she was giving me. I played college intramurals for one semester and thus ended my basketball career. I played ball and I loved it but still never felt like an athlete.<\/p>\n This call for “ex-athletes” got me to thinking…when<\/em> exactly does an athlete become an athlete? Are they just born that way, or have a natural propensity? Is it because they started at a young age? If there’s a chance for those of us who come by athleticism later in life, how long does it take to become an athlete? Is it ever too late to be one? Maybe the bigger question is, do you have to be really good at playing a sport, lift heavy weights, or run marathons to be considered an athlete?<\/p>\n For me, phase 1 of becoming an athlete started with getting to a lean, healthy weight when I was 35 years old. To be clear, I wasn’t trying to be athletic, but I was tired of previously unsuccesful weight loss attempts and my own lack of confidence. This was an important step for me because my previous efforts at workouts and long duration cardio never yielded weight loss results. Even though it might sound counterintuitive, my athletic journey begins with getting lean through major nutrition changes. When I had success in this area, my confidence skyrocketed. That confidence began to transform me into a more focused, goal oriented person.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta title=”Fatty To Fit: Losing Weight And Keeping It Off For Life” button_url=”https:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/index.php\/fatty-to-fit\/” button_text=”Click Here” _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(216,216,216,0.33)” background_image=”https:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dawna-stafford-independent-optavia-coach-before-after.jpg” parallax=”on” link_option_url_new_window=”on”]<\/p>\n I lost weight in 2009 and it was a total mindset shift. I\u2019ve kept it off ever since and have continued to work on a strong and balanced physique. No crazy, long hours in the gym, just consistency.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_cta][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.8em”]<\/p>\n After a year of doing resistance training at home thanks to various on-demand videos, I felt that it was time to push myself further. I nervously joined a gym in an effort to have access to equipment I didn’t have at home, and MAYBE participate in group classes at some point. None of these were things I had much, if any experience doing.<\/p>\n Then one day at the gym I was feeling something…some kind of new confidence and excitement. I took a quick look around and was pretty sure no one was watching so, I snapped a quick pic in the mirror. It was then that my very first \u201cgym selfie\u201d was born. It was November 3, 2011 at 11:46 AM (it’s an iPhone 3GS).<\/p>\n Did my first clich\u00e9<\/em> gym selfie make me an athlete? No, but the important part is that in the moment I felt<\/em> like one. Did you get that? I FELT LIKE ONE and that had never been true in my whole life. So, why is that important?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/IMG_0434.jpg” _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_line_height=”1.7em”]<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what I figured out. To become an athlete I had to BE an athlete. To BE an athlete I had to FEEL like an athlete. The first time I felt like an athlete did anyone else notice? Probably not but I wasn’t concerned about that. I finally felt worthy of being one because I was setting and accomplishing goals, so guess what? I kept right on BEING an athlete without any sort of distress in regard to what anyone else was thinking of me.<\/p>\n This relates to life in a much bigger way than just athleticism, physical coordination, or consistent workouts. A critical and necessary part of becoming anything in life has to do with BEING. Are you at a lean, healthy weight? Maybe not but you get there by BEING healthy. Are you a fitness competitor? Maybe not but you get there by BEING consistent with your training. Are you the kindest person, best employee, student, parent, partner? Maybe not but you get there by BEING that in each next moment. Becoming these things requires being these things and at some point you have to take ownership in the process of \u201cbeing\u201d so that you \u201cfeel like\u201d that which you are becoming.<\/p>\n Some people assume positions in life because those\u00a0around them have reinforced their beliefs, \u201cYou\u2019re beautiful. You\u2019re a natural athlete. You\u2019re talented. You\u2019re intelligent.\u201d<\/em> but sometimes we have to start with zero reinforcements and wage our own battle through a lot of insecurities in the process. Just remember the state of BEING. Even if you\u2019re not ready to say, \u201cI am\u2026\u201d You still have to BE that to get the results.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_post_slider include_categories=”11,43,10,3,4″ orderby=”rand” show_meta=”off” _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_post_slider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.7″ background_color=”rgba(10,10,10,0.42)” background_image=”https:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/File_005-4-scaled.jpeg” background_blend=”darken”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.7″ background_color=”rgba(10,10,10,0.9)” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” custom_padding=”20px||20px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.7″][et_pb_blurb title=”Dawna Stafford Music” image=”https:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0627-scaled.jpg” _builder_version=”4.9.2″ background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”|20px||20px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone”]<\/p>\n Dawna is a northwest singer-songwriter and cover song artist based in Spokane and Northern Idaho. Described as a folk-rock star, her acoustic arrangements and vocals are soulful and raw. Her style is an upbeat fusion of modern folk and light rock, delivering live performances that are fun, diverse and relatable. Audiences love the dynamic range from upbeat and tempo driven to melodic and thoughtful. Dawna is a versatile artist who knows how to engage and entertain people with a mix of both originals and familiar cover songs that span the decades.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/index.php\/about-dawna-stafford\/” button_text=”Learn More” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.4.7″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BECOMING what you want to be requires BEING that. You have to own the process of \u201cbeing\u201d so that you can become.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":264,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Define YOUR Starting Point (not someone else’s)<\/h1>\n
My First Gym Selfie And Why It Mattered<\/h1>\n
Becoming An Athlete At Any Age And At Any Fitness Level<\/h1>\n
\n
BECOMING what you want to be requires BEING that. You have to own the process of \u201cbeing\u201d so that you can become.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
![](\"http:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/IMG_0434-225x300.jpg\")
I recently read an advertisement from a local gym, \u201cCALLING ALL EX-ATHLETES\"<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0If I ever waited for a\u00a0call like that to make an attempt to pursue my athletic prowess as a maturing (eh hem) adult, I never would have responded because\u2026I NEVER in my life considered myself an athlete. So, you may be surprised to find\u00a0that I did play basketball for 3 years out of my high school career and\u00a0was pursued by the women\u2019s basketball\u00a0coach in college to try out for the team, to which I respectfully declined saying something like, \u201cMy skills are not up to par with college level athletics.\u201d I think the coach tried to encourage me otherwise but my lack of confidence\u00a0was simply too strong to counteract the nudge she was giving me. I played college intramurals for one semester and thus ended my basketball career. I played ball. I loved it. I still never felt like an athlete. When is an athlete born? How long does it take? Is it ever too late to be one?\nBecoming an athlete at any age<\/strong><\/h3>\nFor me, being the best athlete I could be started with getting to\u00a0a lean, healthy weight. I think this is important because many people put the\u00a0athlete in front of their lean body which can end up at mini
![](\"http:\/\/fitguitargirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/ds-before-after-2016-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>mum in frustration if the goal is to lose weight and even worse in injury because the body just isn\u2019t ready for that kind of force. My story begins with getting lean and that was the easy part! You can read more on that<\/a>\u00a0if you want to know how I did it. After a year of doing resistance training at home thanks to Jillian Michaels, Jackie Warner and various on-demand videos, I joined a gym. Sometime shortly after that my very first \u201cgym selfie\u201d happened. It was November 3, 2011 at 11:46 AM. I had an iPhone 3GS. I must have felt particularly strong that day. I smile at that girl in the mirror now because I was such a tiny, little thing. Was I an athlete? I don\u2019t know but I felt<\/em> like one. Did you catch that? I FELT LIKE ONE and that had never been true in my whole life. So, why is that important? Especially since years later one could arguably say that my physique reflects that of an athlete\u00a0more than this girl in the mirror in 2011.\n\nHere\u2019s what I figured out. To become an athlete I had to BE an athlete. To BE an athlete I had to FEEL\u00a0like an athlete. The first time I felt like an athlete did anyone else recognize that quality about me? No, but I sure as hell felt like one so guess what? I kept BEING one. So, much of becoming anything\u00a0in life has to do with BEING. Am I at a lean, healthy weight? Maybe not but you get there by BEING healthy. Am I a fitness competitor? Maybe not but you get there by BEING consistent with your training. Am I the kindest person, best employee, student, parent, partner? Maybe not but I get there by BEING that in each next moment. Becoming these things requires being these things and at some point you have to take ownership in the process of \u201cbeing\u201d so that you \u201cfeel like\u201d that which you are becoming.\n\nSome people assume positions in life because those\u00a0around them have reinforced their beliefs, \u201cYou\u2019re beautiful. You\u2019re a natural athlete. You\u2019re talented. You\u2019re intelligent.\u201d<\/em> but sometimes we have to start with zero reinforcements and wage our own battle through a lot of insecurities in the process. Just remember the state of BEING. Even if you\u2019re not ready to say, \u201cI am\u2026\u201d You still have to BE that to get the results.\n\n
BECOMING what you want to be requires BEING that. You have to own the process of \u201cbeing\u201d so that you can become.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,41,3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-featured","category-health-fitness","category-mindset"],"yoast_head":"\n