So it is in the air, hearing it every day and with every conversation, the motivation is not where it was a few months ago nor where it will be in a few weeks. Not long ago, you were energetic and determined to start your healthy lifestyle. You had the motivation and enthusiasm to watch your nutritional intake, exercise like it was going out of style, and even the temptations around you didn’t seem hard to avoid. You were confident in your plan and nothing was going to stop you!
Then suddenly the holidays came! The holidays tend to tax our motivation and energy. The weather, long “to do lists”, holiday parties and gatherings and holiday travel can make it hard to stay motivated. You ate an extra piece of peppermint bark or your co-workers home baked cookies. That is where it started…. Suddenly you found it harder to get back on track. Maybe you missed a workout, due to a party, and found yourself missing a few back to back days. After that, your momentum and motivation started to fade…
Every time you take a step backwards on your healthy lifestyle, you have two choices: to keep stepping backwards, which will surely take you even further away from your goals; or to accept your decision, forgive yourself and move forward, regaining motivation and momentum.
Instead of waiting for after the holidays or for the next year to come, rediscover your drive TODAY. Everyone may tells you to stay motivated and to stick with it but at the end of the day, you are the one that has to find that motivation within and keep moving forward. The difference between those who reach their goals and those who don’t is motivation. If you’re motivated, keep it going! If you are in need of a little pick me up, here are some reminders of why to stay motivated and tools to get re-motivated!
WHY TO STAY MOTIVATED
– Confidence
Remember how you feel after you have accomplished a great workout. You walk out of the gym with more confidence than you came in with. The more you accomplish, the more you’ll believe in yourself. The more you believe in yourself the further you will go.
– Feeling good in your clothes
All it takes is the thought of how you are going to feel when you put on your favorite pair of jeans and not only do they fit but you feel like you have never felt before in them! All it takes is consistency and staying motivated and your clothes will never fit and feel so good!
– Having a plan in mind makes the days fly by
When you have a plan and a set goal in mind, you’ll be so pre occupied with what you need to do to reach your goals from food preparation, scheduling your workouts, planning your family outings, etc. When you have a goal and focus and fit everything in, your weeks will go by fast and be more enjoyable than just floating by. As the days and weeks fly by, you reach your goals quicker.
– Gives you purpose
Every once in a while, we need a good reason to get out of bed and get going. If you have a goal, you have a purpose and reason to get up and get going. Having your mind wrapped around a goal gives you enough reason to do what you do and stay motivated.
– Be that example and role model
As a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, wife or whatever your role is, the healthier you are, the healthier they will be. Being a great example and role model is the best way to teach and promote healthy living. That is motivation in itself!
– Momentum
Remember the concept of momentum? Once we get things going, they will continue at a fast pace and therefore lead to results. Motivation resides in keeping the momentum goin…
-Spread the word
When others see how hard you’re working, you will motivate them to reach for their goals. By helping yourself and keeping yourself motivated, you are motivating others and helping them help themselves.
– Experience means growth
The more you stay motivated, the more your journey will unfold and the more you will learn about yourself. As you continue on your path, the more you will learn what works and what doesn’t work. Keep sticking with your goals and you will find motivation to learn and rediscover your potential! Nothing like continuing to learn and grow into a better YOU, that is motivation!
TOOLS TO GET RE-MOTIVATED
– Try a shorter workout over no workout. Perfect time to browse our circuit workouts and give one a try. Just do something!!
– Try a new recipe. Cooking healthy foods can be fun and it never has to be bland. This is a perfect opportunity to pick a healthy holiday recipe to share with those around you! Browse our recipe section…
– Start your day off with a healthy breakfast! Oatmeal is always a key staple with a source of lean protein (egg whites or protein powder). A perfect time for some Protein Muffins or Protein Pancakes!! Motivation starts with the first thing you put in your mouth.
– Drink your plenty of water every day, you will feel so much better!!
– Utilize the forum to learn from others and see how others overcome similar struggles and obstacles. No better way than to gain motivation from other people’s stories!
– Utilize your Personal Log’s to track your progress!!
– Keep everyone up to date with how you are doing so we can all help you stay motivated and you can motivate others.
– Share your goals. Whether you post them in the forum or share them with a friend or loved one, you’ll be more accountable if you share your goals.
-Before you share your goals, you must know what they are! Be sure to note your goals specifically so you know where you are headed! Did you decide on goals for 2011?!
– Keep your support group close to you. We are all here to help each other stay motive, give encouragement and ideas so utilize all of the support here on the site.
– If the weather permits, get outside and just enjoy a nice walk outdoors. Get off the treadmill, for once, and enjoy the outdoors!
– Create your vision board. If you never created one, what not a better time than now! If you do have one, add to it or revise it to correlate with your new goals. Include pictures of your goal and reasons why you want to get there.
– Go grocery shopping for some healthy fun new food finds. This does it every time! Find a new fun product to get you motivated and spark your interest.
-Pick up a new book. One of the motivational books we’ve mentioned is a great place to start! Nothing like getting re-motivated with a good book!
-Reward yourself. Come up with a great reward system to keep you on track. Once you rack up those points, do as you promise and reward yourself.
– Listen to an inspirational song or watch your favorite motivational movie to get you re-pumped up. Browse a few of our favorites in the motivational video section. Here is one of our site favorites and another… to get you re-motivated!
-Start a new program. Sometimes, you may just need a fresh start and a new plan to get you re-motivated.
-Take a new class. Nothing like a fun new group class to spark your interest and get you going again!
You CAN get back on track today. Even if you’re moving slowly through the holidays, you’ll be moving in the right direction rather than waiting for next year! Start today so you will be ahead of the game in a few weeks! Starting today puts you way ahead of those that are putting it off!