MOTIVATION...getting it---and keeping it!

                         .MOTIVATION. 
....Getting it--and keeping it! 

How many times have you went to bed at night thinking, "Tomorrow's the day. I WILL get healthy." Its so easy to say! BUT! Once the rubber meets the road,  you've worked all day its 5:00 and your trying to drag yourself to the gym after a hard days work, it's not so easy and you are all of a sudden not so motivated! Here are a few tricks to help amp up your motivation so you will have the motivation to push through and meet your goals!


1. Picture success. It sounds so cliche and simple....But really...When you're laying on the couch dreading that hour you need to spend at the gym, thinking about how much easier it would be to pop in a chick flick and finish that box of Oreo's, step back and remember WHY. Picture yourself in the summer time totally comfortable with yourself at a pool party in a bathing suit. Or picture yourself on that vacation you have planned with your great new body in clothes you previously might not have been able to wear, wearing them with confidence! Now think of the opposite....Think of how it would be if you chose the easy road....Perhaps packing for that vacation, trying on your old jean shorts and having to go to the store and pick up a pair in a size up?...Which do you chose? The decision is one you make now. The choice is yours... NO EXCUSES!

2. Sign up for classes and pay ahead! This is one that really seems to do the trick for me. If I know that I've paid for it...I'm not gonna miss it. Signing up for a fitness class locks you in. You feel almost obligated to show up, and for me thats what I need! If you've got someone in counting on you to show up for their class, you'll be less apt to skip out.

3. Make a date! Make a plan with  a friend to meet you at the gym for a workout! This one kind of goes along with the previous one, but if you know somebody is counting on you it's not as easy to blow it off! Plan for something like every Tuesday and Thursday me and X meet at the gym, or go for a jog or bike ride together. Whatever type of physical activity you choose. That way you've at LEAST got 2 days a week covered!

4. It might sound silly, but write yourself a letter. Sometimes we need to be reminded that nobody knows you better than yourself, thus nobody knows quite how to motivate you as well as you do! The power of your personal motivation is SO strong, you just need to learn how channel it. Sit down and pour out on paper all the reasons you are working so hard on achieving your goals. Paint a picture of exactly how you aim to be a year from now. List all the things you aim to achieve. Be entirely honest with yourself.  Remind yourself of what it is you are striving for. Remind yourself how much you want this. So when you feel totally unmotivated and would rather sit at home, just open up your letter and let it remind you what you are working for and why you need to get out and make it happen!

5. Pebble jar. Use 2 jars. Fill the first jar with pebbles representing each pound you wish to lose. Once you lose a pound a pebble goes into the other jar. This will give you a visual on how far you've come and how far you have to go! When you have that visual staring at you on the kitchen counter it can be quite motivating!

6. Buy a new workout outfit that makes you feel confident. It sounds so unimportant....But when we feel like a bum, we'll perform like a bum. If you work out in a pair of shorts that make your legs look stubby and a drapey old t shirt its going to discourage you. Wearing something that accentuates your features will help you feel motivated and confident in the gym. There are styles to suit every body type! Find the one that makes you feel good about yourself and best compliments your body.

7. Eat well. When we fill our bodies with overly processed garbage the body doesn't function the way it should. When you eat right you will have far more energy and motivation. So when you go through the lunch line think  of it as filling your body up with clean fuel instead of yucky fuel that will by 5:00 leave you feeling ultra groggy and unmotivated. I always notice this especially when I eat Chinese food. The day after indulging, I always have a super hard time getting in a good workout! That just goes to show how much our diet affects our motivation!


8. Sometimes I get discouraged when life gets so busy that I don't have time to get to the gym for a few consecutive days. Day after day that goes by, and I start to feel less and less motivated. Instead of getting down about it figure out ways to incorporate short exercise sessions into your day. We always have 5 minutes here 5 minutes there, instead of checking facebook do 5 minutes of mountain climbers or jumping jacks. 5 minutes here 5 minutes there a day can add up! 6, 5 minute sessions and you've got a full 30 minute workout in! 

9. Reward yourself. Plan a reward. Figure out  your weight loss or fitness goal and once you reach it, treat yourself! Maybe its a new date dress? A new pair of a shoes? Perhaps put away a dollar or even just 50 cents in a jar every time you hit the gym, to save up for that certain item. Then after a few months go by you'll have likely reached your goals and you'll have the money to reward yourself for your success!

10. A special event. If you have a special event on the horizon that can make for a major motivator! I don't know if there is any better motivation for a woman to get fit than a wedding dress.  If you don't for see any special events on the horizon, plan one! It could be as simple as a special birthday dinner with friends, a friends wedding or a weekend trip! This helps by giving you a deadline. Deadlines will force you to want to work harder to meet them!



I wish you good luck! Stay motivated! Always remember you decide how you will be 6 months from now...you will either be 6 months ahead or another 6 months behind! The choice is ALL yours! ;) <3