What Five COVID Transformations Taught Me About Showing Up Ugly

I'm gonna be honest with you. When I first read about these five people who transformed their bodies during the absolute chaos of 2020, my initial reaction wasn't inspiration. It was exhaustion.

Another success story. Another "they did it, so can you!" narrative. Another reminder of all the ways I'd failed to stick to my own health goals during the pandemic while stress-eating cereal for dinner and avoiding my dusty yoga mat.

But then I actually read their stories. And something shifted.

The Transformation Industry Gets It Wrong

Here's what most fitness content wants you to focus on: Victor lost 25 pounds. Silvia went from barely walking to running. Bradley dropped 80 pounds. Lindsey lost 14 pounds and ditched her anxiety meds. Philip got 15 pounds leaner at 61.

Impressive numbers, right? The kind that make you think "I need to get my act together."

But that's not the real story. That's not what actually changed these people's lives.

The real story is messier. Way messier.

What Actually Happened (And Why It Matters)

Victor woke up at 3:30 AM to run in 97-degree heat because that was the only time that worked. He built a "Fred Flintstone gym" out of metal bars and concrete because he couldn't afford proper equipment. When he got COVID and his heart rate spiked, he didn't stop completely—he just dialed it back.

This isn't the glossy "morning routine" content you see on Instagram. This is someone figuring it out as they go.

Silvia started with four modified push-ups. Not the sexy full push-ups. Modified ones. The kind that make you feel like you're not really working out. But she kept showing up to those four push-ups until they became seven, then ten, then actual push-ups.

Bradley couldn't do any exercises without severe pain when he started. So he focused on stretching and walking on a treadmill. While working grueling shifts as a frontline healthcare worker during a global pandemic.

Lindsey turned her empty restaurant into a gym using bags of sugar as weights. Philip kept having "lapses" but didn't let them derail everything.

You see what I'm getting at here?

The Unglamorous Truth About Change

None of these people had perfect circumstances. None of them followed perfect plans. They all had setbacks, made compromises, and did whatever weird thing they needed to do to keep moving forward.

And that's exactly why they succeeded.

Because here's what I've learned after years of trying and failing at various health goals: perfection is the enemy of progress. The shiny transformation photos don't show you the days when someone used their living room as a gym, or woke up before dawn because it was the only option, or did modified exercises because that's all their body could handle.

They don't show you the grief, the pain, the financial stress, the global pandemic happening in the background.

But that background noise? That's where real life happens. That's where sustainable change actually takes root.

What "Showing Up" Really Looks Like

I used to think showing up meant having perfect form, following the plan exactly, never missing a workout. I thought it meant meal prepping on Sundays and having a color-coded fitness schedule.

These stories taught me something different.

Showing up looks like Victor's 3:30 AM runs when the world was literally on fire.

It looks like Silvia adding one glute exercise when her hips were screaming in pain.

It looks like Bradley stretching on days when he couldn't do anything else.

It looks like Lindsey using sugar bags as weights in her empty restaurant.

It looks like Philip accepting his "lapses" and focusing on tiny improvements.

Showing up isn't pretty. It's not Instagram-worthy. It's often weird, improvised, and imperfect.

But it's sustainable. And sustainability beats perfection every single time.

The Questions No One Asks

When was the last time you gave yourself credit for showing up imperfectly?

What would change if you stopped waiting for the "right" circumstances to take care of yourself?

What's your version of waking up at 3:30 AM or using sugar bags as weights?

Because I guarantee you have constraints, challenges, and less-than-ideal circumstances. We all do. The question isn't how to eliminate them—it's how to work with them.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

We're living through unprecedented times. (I know, I know, everyone says that. But seriously.) Between climate anxiety, political chaos, economic uncertainty, and whatever personal stuff you're dealing with, waiting for the "perfect time" to prioritize your health is a losing strategy.

These five people figured out how to take care of themselves while their worlds were falling apart. Not because they had superhuman willpower or perfect circumstances, but because they redefined what "taking care of yourself" actually means.

It doesn't mean having a perfect routine. It means having a flexible approach.

It doesn't mean never missing a day. It means getting back to it when you can.

It doesn't mean doing everything right. It means doing something, anything, to move in the right direction.

The Unsexy Secret

Want to know the real secret to lasting change? It's not motivation. It's not willpower. It's not the perfect program or the right timing.

It's learning to show up ugly.

Showing up when you don't feel like it. When you can only manage half of what you planned. When you have to get creative with sugar bags and living room workouts. When life is messy and hard and nothing goes according to plan.

Because that's when you build the skill that actually matters: the ability to adapt, persist, and keep going despite imperfect circumstances.

And once you have that skill? The external changes—the weight loss, the strength gains, the improved health markers—become almost inevitable. Not because you're perfect, but because you're consistent. Not because you never fail, but because you've learned to fail forward.

Your Turn to Show Up Ugly

So here's my challenge for you: Stop waiting for perfect circumstances. Stop waiting until you have the right equipment, the perfect schedule, the ideal motivation levels.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Maybe that means walking around your block instead of driving to the gym you can't afford.

Maybe it means doing push-ups against your kitchen counter instead of waiting to figure out a full workout routine.

Maybe it means packing one healthy snack instead of overhauling your entire diet.

Maybe it means going to bed 15 minutes earlier instead of waiting to perfect your entire sleep routine.

Whatever it is, make it small enough that you can't fail. Make it weird enough that it fits your actual life. Make it imperfect enough that you can start today.

Because the people in these stories didn't transform their lives with grand gestures or perfect execution. They did it by showing up, again and again, in whatever way they could manage.

And if they can do it while grieving, in pain, during a pandemic, while their businesses are failing and their worlds are turning upside down... what's possible for you?

The only way to find out is to start showing up. Ugly, imperfect, and exactly as you are.

Your future self will thank you for beginning before you were ready.