I hold my younger self with such gratitude. She went through so much, learned so much, and dealt with so much – and every piece of this, all good, bad, beautiful, and ugly, all planted the seeds of growth for me to be who I am today. This episode is a dedication to my younger self and an invitation for you to connect with and feel gratitude for your younger self, too.   Key Takeaway  If you are on a journey and in a space where it feels almost impossible to accept who you are, see if you can go back in time to find that little bit of gratitude for how and whoever you were then. You are the same person. You have different tools, and you’ve evolved. It’s pretty amazing to think about.   My Story with Weight Gain I’ve spoken about this before, but when I was younger, I gained weight. I spent many years as an overweight child, and my body only started changing when I was in university. I was fifty pounds heavier than I am now, with the same muscle mass – and I am grateful for my younger self. She learned so much about diet, exercise, nutrition, and body composition, and because of her, I was able to maintain my muscle mass while losing weight. I’m grateful for what she went through, even though I used to feel resentful for her. It wasn’t until a recent conversation with my father that I started to reframe my relationship with my younger self. My younger self planted the seeds of who I am now, and without her journey, I wouldn’t be who I am today.   Discovering Strength Training My younger self taught me how to strength train, and I am forever grateful for that. It’s not about how you strength train; it’s about doing it in a way that supports your body. The important thing is that you do strength training, even if that’s once a week. Plus, because my younger self exercised so much, I have had a lot of improved health metrics over the years. The gratitude I feel for her is incredible. Holding gratitude for the younger versions of ourselves helps us reach a place where we can level up who we are now. When we hold space for the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly and allow all these pieces to come together, we can finally figure out what our next steps and moves are. How can you dive into all the things you’ve been and all the things that you are and be comfortable with all of that? Let me know your thoughts in the comments on the episode page.   In This Episode  Why I feel grateful for gaining weight when I was younger [11:00] How to release resentment when people comment on your body [15:00] Some of the ways you can approach strength training, regardless of your body type [16:00] What it means to have a high lean mass and bone density [17:45] The long-term benefits of exercise [23:00] How to level up yourself [26:00]   Quotes “When I look at my body composition now, it’s not that different from when I was an athlete in college. Now, mind you, I’m 50 pounds lighter, and my muscle mass is about the same. That is pretty remarkable. I have so much gratitude that I became obsessed with nutrition and exercise because it allowed me to understand how to change your body composition and lose weight in a way that promotes and maintains your muscle mass.”  [11:27] “Gratitude towards my younger self is saying, ‘That was difficult. You went through it. And you built a foundation in your body that is still carrying you to this day.’” [14:49] “I have so much gratitude for my younger self because my younger self gave me all the different seeds to become who I am now.” [23:55] “The idea is that one day you will look back to right now with gratitude because what you are navigating right now is going to teach you something. When you are in the future, and you look back, you will thank who you are right now. Don’t avoid the hard. Don’t avoid the negative emotions. Dive into that.” [27:06]   Resources Mentioned 31 Days of FIT. Learn more HERE. Muscle Maintenance During Fat Loss. Waitlist HERE. Fit Woman Collective™. Learn more HERE. Transform® 8.0 deposit link is now open. Sign up HERE. Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Subscribe to The Muscles and Mindset Podcast on Apple Podcasts *** Ali Novitsky MD, this podcast, and podcast write-up are NOT providing medical advice ***   Related Episodes  Episode 170: This One's for My Girls` Episode 168: Self-Care Through Real Conversations with Dr. Kristi Angevine Episode 169: Let's Make Muscle