Erica Peterson
Growing up, I was always a very tall and thin girl. I was naturally good at sports because of my long legs. Unfortunately, like any girl, this changed when I hit puberty. I stopped growing at 5 feet and 2 inches and was easily putting on weight. While this is completely normal, I did not understand why it was happening, I just thought I was “fat”. In order to counteract this normal weight gain, I began my love for running and cardio.
I swam competitively my entire life, so it was not hard for me to start up this hobby. I would easily run 5-6 miles a day and was constantly in a calorie deficit (meaning I was taking in less calories than I was burning while doing cardio). While this was very enjoyable for me because I loved the “runners high” after a long run, it began to almost break down my body. I was constantly getting hurt and lost my period for nearly over a year! Luckily, over quarantine from Covid-19, I got seriously injured and almost tore my meniscus. Consequently, my dad is really into lifting, so we have a ton of weight equipment all over the house. With my leg being hurt, I started working out my upper body with at-home workout videos from YouTube and my dad’s dumbbells. Once my leg began to feel better, I avoided running and lifted instead. This immediately began to feel like a new hobby I’d learn to love.
Before this, I was always scared of weights as well as certain foods because I was concerned I would look too “manly”or I’d look “stupid at the gym” not knowing if I was doing certain workouts correctly. Now I walk into the gym and lift weights next to the guys without hesitation. Who cares if you cannot lift as heavy as them! I am in the best shape of my life and feel better than ever. Every girl should at least try weightlifting and get the courage to lift right next to the biggest guy at the gym, because lifting is for the girls too.
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