Get Motivated! Stay Motivated!

 

Let's face it, it's hard to start working out . And once you begin and stop for a little, it's hard to get back into the routine. I know. I've been there.
I used to work out almost everyday. I would do two-a-days or just long hours. The gym was almost like my second home. If anyone called me, I was in the gym. They knew to not even interrupt me. Just going to the gym and seeing results was my motivation. Soon my life began to get a little more hectic, and being tired, was taking over. It's hard to stay motivated and happy with life when your life is  in a frenzy. It's okay to have ups and downs. It's just a problem when your downs outweigh your ups. Here are a few tips to take to stay motivated  to workout and happy when life throws you lemons: 

1. Find your special time. Find a time you can dedicate to working out. Time you can dedicate to you. Believe it or not, but exercise relieves so much stress and is a natural mood booster. Once you begin to work out, it's like an addiction, you won't be able to stop. During your special place, also keep a journal. Write down what you could have done better, what you enjoyed the day before, what workouts your doing, and what foods you ate. Being able to see what you are thinking helps you revamp your mood a lot. It also gets those unwanted feelings out of your mind so your mind is free from clutter. It's amazing what cleaning up clutter will do ( in the mind or in the home ;) ). I'll be talking about clutter and organization soon. :) 
2. Try working out outside. It's something about "being one with nature" that lifts your moods. Being out in the open air and having no restrictions to who's occupying a treadmill or elliptical. You can go to a place like a park or a trail. 
3. Get a workout partner. I myself have done this. Someone who can tell you "Hey, where are you? It's time to workout!" gives motivation to keep going and striving for results. Seeing he progress both you and your workout partner have made, will only want you to keep striving for more. 
4. Put motivational quotes in places that you frequent the most. You can put one on your bedroom door, because you'' have no choice to see it if you open or close the door. You can also, put it on your cell- phone as a background or as a flashing reminder. Like everyone, most people always use their phone at least twice a day.
5. Take pictures of yourself to track progress. I'm not talking about everyday, but maybe every three to four weeks. Remember it takes a week or two just to lose one pound. So track your progress every month or every two weeks. You'll see inches leave before fat. 

A pound of fat is like 3500 calories. That's a lot! But don't be discouraged, eating right and exercise will burn that unwanted friend off in no time. When you first begin working out, you will gain. Don't be discouraged it's just your body's way of saying "hold on! what's going on?" Then once your body loves the combined help of eating correctly and exercising, it will let go of the fat it is holding on to because it knows it will constantly be getting energy. You also gain muscle weight when you begin to workout. So don't pay that much attention to your scale, look at the way your clothing is fitting you. That's a great motivator in itself.

Have fun! Happy exercising.