I’ll share the part of my story that led me to find the best option for me – from the very beginning until today (good news, it applies and works for anyone) 
Back in 2019, I began the ultimate fitness journey, although I wasn’t fully aware of it then. I was a new mom, overweight (gaining more weight after giving birth), and I desperately wanted to get in shape (not back in shape because technically I’ve been in shape once in my life for a short period)
For most of my life, I was quite out of shape, not engaging in regular physical activity or paying attention to what I was eating.
My lifestyle at that time leaned toward the sedentary side, with just brief walks with my baby and no extra activities or workouts. However, those walks became the start of a routine.
It took a while, but once my baby started enjoying the pram, our walks grew longer, with me pushing the pram while she napped. This worked well for both of us, as I enjoyed walking (and still do 
).
Soon after, we settled into this routine of longer daily walks, and on most days, my step count exceeded 15k easily.
Additionally, I started working out and I (finally!) found what worked in terms of nutrition – I wasn’t starving, and I was losing fat while my energy increased (but that itself deserves a separate post; for now, I’ll keep it brief).
This routine lasted for almost two years, after which our lives changed (enter kindergarten and back-to-work).
Those first two years were relatively easy because I had more time to cook, walk with the pram, and exercise a bit in the evening. It was the opportunity I had to build my habits.
When life changed, so did my routine. I had less time for what I call leisure 
When I couldn’t do long walks anymore, I walked for 15-20-40 minutes, as my time allowed. A big change! Obviously, I wasn’t burning as many calories as before.
So, I adjusted my workouts, starting small to build strength and resilience so I could do more intense workouts.
My eating habits also changed, still aligned with a healthy lifestyle but with different goals – to maintain my weight or gain muscles, as opposed to losing fat in the beginning.
Regardless of how my life and schedule changed (kindergarten, sickness, travel, going back to work, career change, study), one thing remained constant—the habits I had formed since having my baby.
What made it work was flexibility and adjusting it to my lifestyle, not the other way around.
Know that it doesn’t take two years to get in shape, or you don’t have to be in the same place as I was when I started.
You can start exactly where you are right now with what you have and build on it.
That was my path, and I saw results within weeks, which made me eager to continue.
Another (very important) thing is that I was in love with the process. I loved my workouts (even when I hated them, if you know what I mean 
), I loved how they made me feel, and I kept going back for more.
I loved my food choices. My meals were (still are!) delicious and made me feel good (side note – my plate might not be the prettiest, but it has to be tasty).
In my journey, I aimed to build habits because once a habit is formed, the brain LOVES it. The less effort I had to put into doing my physical activities or cooking, the easier it got. I formed my habits by:
1. Liking what I was doing (walks, workouts)
2. Being able to do them (physically and timely)
Almost five years later, I still love it & it works (they go hand in hand) 
They might look different in terms of quantity or volume, and this part is prone to change in the future, but the essence is the same.
Following a sustainable plan allowed me to create the habit. Now I don’t have to dig deep for the motivation to do my workouts, it’s part of who I am.
What are the things you enjoy doing, and what are some you’d like to work on?
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