When Kelley was at her heaviest in college, she said that she was "uncomfortable" with her size, but she has no regrets. "I was never unhappy when I was prioritizing making memories over my own health," she noted. "And I'm not saying that those things can't live hand in hand. I just didn't figure out a way to make that work." Then, she decided to start her fitness journey, and she's grateful that she's found sustainability because that, she said, is key.
"I think that my biggest thing I've learned is that changing your life is a process, and it will always be a process," Kelley explained. "There's no end to it, and so you kind of have to fall in love with the ups and the downs of the process and realize that if you are going to be succeeding all the time, you're going to burn yourself out." Her advice? Be as kind to yourself as you can through those downs. And, at the same time, find things that will lift you up.
One way Kelley's learned to lift her spirits on a "down" day is taking progress photos and videos of herself working out so that she can compare where she was months ago to where she is now. "That allows me to step back and look at it as a whole process and as a whole journey and realize my overall progress," she said. It's about putting negative thoughts aside by reminding herself of her strength.
