Feel like throwing in the towel? Or, already did?
If you've lost the motivation to work out and eat healthy, but deep down have a burning desire to get back into it, these little strategies will help you with getting back in the game.
Losing workout motivation happens to TONS of people. We get all excited and motivated the night before we're about to change our lives by working out regularly, eating healthy, meal prepping, cutting back on sugar, etc. The first week, we're freaking rockstars and nothing can stop us.
But, a few more weeks or months go by, and the takeout boxes creep their way back into our trash cans more and more often. Or we're caught standing in front of our cupboards with a spoon in one hand and a big container of Jiff in the other. And waking up before the sun comes up to go dominate another workout...laying in bed is sounding a lot better now. And you know you're not bringing yourself to the gym after an 8 or 10 hour work day.
So, gone are the days of working out and eating healthier.
*Cue the negative self-talk*.
"I suck"; "I failed, again"; "Why even bother trying now"; etc.
SO frustrating and demeaning, but you're not alone—it's a common situation.
But, what else is common, is that we don't want this for ourselves. We want to get back at it, we've just lost the motivation. So, use these tips & strategies to get yourself back to your health journey towards your BEST LIFE & BEST YOU.
Remember your WHY.
Take the time to sit with yourself and think about all the reasons why you set certain goals & aspirations for yourself.
What was it that sparked your motivation in the first place? What did you originally set out to achieve? Don't feel weird about physically writing this stuff down. It can help you reinstate your excitement and restructure your mindset to get you back on the motivated path!
Keep short-term goals at the forefront.
An overall long-term goal can seem nearly impossible to achieve, which can 1000% cause you to give up and feel the whole "why even bother" BS.
SO, instead of focusing on the ultimate goal, set smaller goals that once you accomplish them, get you closer and closer to where you want to be.
Example: Say your goal is to lose 20 pounds. Instead of focusing on that number, '20', set small goals to lose 1-2 pounds a week or every other week.
Keeping consistent with the small things gets you closer to the bigger things. With this focus, you'll get there, and then you'll be able to MAINTAIN once you do reach that 20-pound weight loss goals.
And remember...the scale isn't everything. Take measurements of yourself when you get started and every few weeks; notice how your clothes fit a little loose than before, etc.
Recommit.
What feels doable for you at this point in time? Start with that & build from there. Maybe it’s a 10-minute workout and adding one more serving of greens to your daily intake. 10 minutes might sound almost pointless to some people, but if that’s the case for you, often times, when you set out to exercise for 10 minutes, you’ll wind up extending those minutes into a longer workout.
You can start with just 10 minutes of working out, and then increase your duration as you go.
Ease your way back into it so you don't wind up feeling burnt out.
Pump up the positivity.
Psych yourself up before you go tackle a strength workout or a distance run.
Turn on some up-beat tunes while you get dressed, tell yourself your a badass *with a good ass* and go KICK SOME ASS!
Find an accountability partner or a trainer.
If you don’t feel confident that you’ll stick to working towards your goals without someone else involved, find someone that will help hold you accountable. Check in with an accountability partner regularly & motivate each other! Or, if you want more guidance along with the accountability, find a trainer *the right trainer* to make you sweat & keep you motivated.
Immerse yourself in POSITIVE environments.
Have that one friend that’s always trying to keep you from becoming a better you? You know, the one that’s always like, “but wouldn’t you rather go out for drinks or pizza”, or, “ew, why would you ever wanna run 5 miles”. You don’t have to totally cut those people out of your life, but limit the time you spend with them—you don’t have time for that negative BS. Surround yourself with like-minded people, and you’ll be way more likely to experience success & stay motivated.
Track your progress, not just your weight on the scale.
Getting back into the health & fitness grind impacts more than just your physical wellbeing. It impacts your mental health, too. When you start working out and eating healthy again, you’ll naturally FEEL better, have more energy, be a happier human, gain more confidence, etc. These lifestyle changes can also affect your sleep, so track ALL of the things.
Recognize your progress in ALL aspects of life!
Set a new goal.
If you revisit the goal(s) you set for yourself previously, and they make you cringe, make new ones! Take some time for yourself to think hard about what you truly want for yourself, not what you think you should want.
Let your new goal(s) excites & inspire you and then make a plan for how you WILL accomplish TF out of them!
Hope these tips help you get back in the game to be the BEST version of yourself.
Do it for YOU!
xo Mackenzie.