How I keep myself fitness motivated

I have been jumping on and off the fitness band wagon for years now and saw the best results over 4 years ago as I was in my 2nd year at Uni. It was so easy to fit my fitness regime into my not so strenuous schedule and I was doing really well with my diet. However, I fell off it after my amazing holiday in Miami and getting into a relationship and moving to Germany to start my placement year. That was my excuse, life.

I guess you can get a bit comfortable when you are in a relationship, the evenings you spent at the gym are swapped for going out for dinner with your partner – I have seen it happen to many people. Now I am not saying relationships are all bad….. you just have to find the right balance I guess.

I have never been overweight but always more on the curvy side even though I have always been quite involved in sports as part of the athletics and netball team. I realized that the first step I had to take was to accept and love my body for the way it is then the next step was to make MY body that best version of itself. Yes it helps having body goals and a visual idol to work towards, but don’t make that goal an impossible one or you will just lose motivation.

Everyone has a trigger. Either you wake up one morning and look at yourself and think SHIT what happened or you have health risks or , like me, you go through a life change and decide to prioritize yourself. At the end of the day, you are the person that walks out a winner and this is for you. If it helps to have something else fuel your journey, like wanting to make you ex realize he is an idiot, then go ahead and use that fuel. But just remember that you really should be doing this for yourself.

A few months ago I started focusing on toning my body and trying to lose weight around my tummy. I cut down on my one weakness, alcohol, and tried to follow a fast metabolism diet. I Paired that with 4-5 days at the gym and have started to see some great results. I am not anywhere near where I want to be ( and no that isn’t to become a body builder with 6 packs) but I am on my way and I wanted to write this post to tell you how I have been keeping myself motivated, hopefully it helps some of you!

Take body pictures

Do not, I repeat, do not weigh yourself. We all know the fats vs muscle weight talk so even though you could be losing fats, your weight might not reflect it. Taking pictures of your body in the same clothes every 4 weeks is a much better measure. Or even measuring your waist etc with a measure tape. If you stick to your workout routine and healthy eating for 4 weeks or so you should be able to see that reflect through your pictures. Of course, this all depends on what your routine is and how hard you are working. I am not a physical trainer or nutritionist so I can’t help in that aspect but this is the fast metabolism book I am currently using to guide my dieting.

Allow yourself a cheat meal every once in awhile

If you have been good all week and are craving a brownie or burger with chips on Saturday night – have it and enjoy every bite. Just don’t let your cheat meal turn into a whole cheat day ( I am a hypocrite for saying this after the Sunday I just had). If you do have a bad day, don’t let it make you feel like all your hard work was for nothing. Just start again tomorrow and go hard… It is all about consistency so just keep it going.

Meal Prep

I cannot emphasize how important it is to get your freak on in the kitchen on a Sunday night with your food. I have a sheet of what I plan on eating each day (including snacks) and when I should cook it. This doesn’t just help you save money but it also makes it less likely for you to cheat. Snacks are just important as your meals as they keep your body fueled – so don’t forget about having them prepared too.

Get a buddy

Whether it is your friend, your partner or a fitness trainer that you have to pay, it makes it so much easier if you have someone who is there with you. You can both talk about your struggles or wins. Don’t forget to celebrate a good day or week!

Stay social

Being healthy does not have to be boring by any means. It can be hard if your friends love to drink (like the self proclaimed alcoholics I hang around with) but if I can do it so can you. I completely stopped drinking for three weeks, which might not sound like a lot but is a great achievement for me, and I saw the impact it had immediately. Alcohol really slows your metabolism down but on top of that, the day after becomes a write off when your being lazy with a hangover and eating every greasy dish available. I still went out clubbing and to bars with the ladies ( I just drank juice and water instead) and danced the night away. That is a cardio workout with lower calories!

Treat yourself to a fitness tracker

Fitness trackers are a great way to hold yourself accountable when working out. Most smartwatches enable you to track your activity levels and diet nowadays and using one could be just what you need to monitor your fitness journey. Plus nowadays, you can even personalize your fitness tracker using a unique watch strap for instance. If you would like to check out some fun accessories for your fitness tracker, you can shop now online by researching tech accessory stores.

There are also plenty of other things to do with friends that does not have to involve alcohol and unhealthy food ( I know – crazy right?).

If you havn’t started, start today because you will have wished you did in the future. If you have, then GO YOU. I would love to hear about your fitness/eating schedule, any of your struggles ( we all have them) or wins :- )