Meet Me at the Gym

Trying to eat healthier, exercise consistently, drink less, or lose weight is hard enough. But what happens when the people closest to you aren’t exactly cheering you on?Maybe your friends give you shit for skipping happy hour. Your spouse gets annoyed when you go to the gym. Or changing the way you eat suddenly makes everyone else at the table have opinions.In this episode of Meet Me at the Gym, we’re talking about why friends and family sometimes push back when you start making healthy changes, even when they genuinely love you.We’ll talk about how our social circles influence our habits, why changing a shared routine can feel threatening to the people around us, and how food and alcohol often become part of the way we connect with each other.Plus, we’ll cover practical ways to protect your goals without ditching your friends, including:How to talk to someone who isn’t supporting your new habitsWhy their reaction may have more to do with them than with youHow to replace old bonding rituals without losing the relationshipWays to make restaurants, brunches, and social events work with your goalsWhy finding a fitness community can make healthy habits easier to maintainYou don’t need your spouse to love working out. You don’t need your best friend to order what you order. And you definitely don’t need unanimous approval before you start taking better care of yourself.You just need to build a life where taking care of yourself doesn’t require giving up your sense of belonging.Meet me at the gym.

How often do you walk into the gym already thinking about everything you can’t do?I can’t do pull-ups. I can’t run. I can’t lift that much. I can’t keep up. I’m not strong enough. I’m not athletic enough.Sometimes those limitations are real. Maybe you’re working around an injury, building a new skill, returning to exercise after time away, or simply not ready for a certain movement yet. But there’s a big difference between acknowledging what you can’t do right now and letting “I can’t” become your entire fitness mindset.In this episode of Meet Me at the Gym, registered dietitian and gym owner Kim Yawitz talks about how focusing on your limitations can chip away at gym confidence, motivation, and even your desire to keep showing up.We’ll talk about why workout modifications aren’t consolation prizes, how celebrating even tiny fitness wins can help you see your progress differently, and one simple question to ask yourself after every workout:What did I do well today?Because progress isn’t just a PR, your first pull-up, or putting more weight on the bar. Sometimes progress is choosing a harder variation, recovering faster, moving a little better, making a smart modification, or simply walking through the gym doors on a day when you really didn’t feel like it.Your challenge this week: Start keeping receipts. Find one win after every workout, write it down, and resist the urge to add a “but” afterward.If you’re going to keep score of everything you can’t do, it’s only fair to start keeping score of everything you can do, too.In this episode:How “I can’t” thinking can affect gym confidenceBuilding a healthier fitness mindsetWhy scaling and modifying workouts still countsHow to recognize progress beyond PRsCelebrating small fitness winsBuilding confidence when you’re new to the gymShifting from “I can’t do this” to “How can I do this?”Creating evidence that you are stronger and more capable than you thinkConnect with us on Instagram!

What if hating your body isn't actually helping you change it?Most of us have something about our bodies we don't particularly like. And it's tempting to believe that once we lose the weight, build the muscle, or finally change that one thing, then we'll feel good about ourselves.But what if we've got it backward?In this episode of Meet Me at the Gym, we're talking about the difference between liking your body and loving your body through the way you care for it.We'll talk about:Why you don't have to love every part of your body to treat it wellWhy changing your body doesn't necessarily change the way you think about itWhat research on self-compassion can teach us about exercise and consistencyWhy self-compassion and accountability aren't oppositesHow to interrupt negative body talk without replacing it with affirmations you don't actually believeHow to start appreciating your body for what it does, not just how it looksPeople have probably been hating their bodies since the beginning of time, and I've yet to meet anyone who became physically and emotionally healthier because they finally hated themselves enough.So why not try something new?Research mentioned in this episode:Zhang S, Roscoe C, Pringle A. Self-Compassion and Physical Activity: The Underpinning Role of Psychological Distress and Barrier Self-Efficacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023;20(2):1480.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9859314/If this episode resonated with you, send it to someone who could use the reminder.I'll see you next week.

Do you feel like you've got healthy eating completely under control Monday through Friday... only to watch it all unravel by Friday night?You're not alone. As a registered dietitian, this is one of the most common struggles I hear from clients. And the good news? It's usually not a lack of willpower.In this episode, I break down the two biggest reasons weekend eating can derail your progress and share practical strategies to help you stay consistent without giving up the foods you love.Why "being perfect" during the week often backfiresHow to make healthy meals more satisfying and sustainableWhy planned indulgences can actually improve consistencyHow to tell the difference between physical hunger and emotional hungerWhat to do when you're craving excitement, comfort, or connection instead of foodSimple ways to build more joy into your week without relying on eatingWhether your goal is weight loss, better blood sugar, improved energy, or simply feeling more in control around food, these strategies can help you stop starting over every Monday. Connect with me on Instagram: @twosixfitness

Ever know exactly what you should do… but still can't convince yourself to do it?In this episode of Meet Me at the Gym, I'm sharing one of my favorite behavior-change strategies: temptation bundling. It's a simple concept backed by behavioral science that has helped me stay consistent through marathon hiking training, meal prep, and plenty of days when motivation was nowhere to be found.We talk about:What temptation bundling is (and why it works)The research behind this surprisingly effective habit strategyHow I use Dateline podcasts to get through 7-hour training hikesWhy community makes going to the gym feel easierPractical ways to apply temptation bundling to workouts, meal prep, mobility, walking, and other healthy habitsIf you've ever thought, "I know I should… I just don't want to," this episode is for you.Resources MentionedMy other podcast, Adventure is EverywhereOur gym websiteConnect with MeHave a question about nutrition, fitness, supplements, or healthy habits that you'd like me to cover on a future episode? Send me a DM on Instagram at @twosixfitness.If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you subscribed, left a review, or shared it with a friend who's trying to build healthier habits.