I have never wanted to be “skinny”, but for as long as I can remember I always loved working out, so long as I felt like I was in a safe environment. My motivation for working out has always been to have fun and to feel strong in my body. There are a couple moments in my life that stand out to me where I found strength and empowerment in fitness. One of those moments was in my high school gym class. This was the first time I ever stepped foot in a weight room, and also the first time there were no boys in my gym class. I never made any effort in gym class until high school because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. So finally, I put in the effort, and found myself pretty good at lifting weights. I found myself to be naturally strong, and I thought it was quite silly that I never fully participated in gym class all those years before.
If it wasn’t for being in an all-girls school, I probably would have never felt comfortable lifting weights in a public gym. Moral of the story is that working out for the first time is always intimidating, but if you feel you are in a safe environment and in a supportive community (with a supportive coach hehe), it makes the world of a difference.