1. Remind yourself why you started in the first place.
When you begin your fitness journey, you may be all about it and then your drive might start to waver. This is when you need to remind yourself why you started working out. What made you decide to make this change? What goals do you have for yourself? Keeping that ever-present will be a constant push to get where you want to be.
2. Have realistic expectations.
Losing 30 pounds in one month is not realistic and it's definitely not healthy. A healthy weight loss is approximately 1-2 pounds per week. Some people will lose weight easier and faster than others and that's OK. Weight loss rate is not universal and there are many factors that will influence how fast or slow you will lose weight.
3. Schedule your workout.
Let's face it, life happens and things come up throughout the day. If you have a specific time of day set aside for your workout, you are much more likely to get it done. Figure out what works best for you and schedule it first thing in the morning or in the evening after school or work. If you have kids, you may want to do it while they are at school or daycare.
4. Prioritize your workout.
You scheduled it, now stick to it! You set the time aside, bought your new workout clothes, bought supplements galore and even got yourself a trainer but you just got invited to happy hour. When you skip out on your workout, you are literally walking out on yourself and your goals. Did the thought of happy hour cloud your mind? See #1 and snap out of it!
5. Find a support system.
Surround yourself with like-minded people. Make friends at the gym or have your significant other or a friend join you as a workout buddy. When you have somebody to hold you accountable, you might be more likely to follow through and stick to healthy habits outside of your workout.
6. Celebrate your milestones.
As you progress, your body will be able to do things that you were not able to do in the beginning. No win is too small to celebrate. When I started working out after giving birth to my daughter, one of my first milestones was being able to touch my toes again. It was a big deal to me, I was so proud of myself and I definitely celebrated. I even posted about it, check my Instagram account if you don't believe me!
7. Keep tabs on your progress.
Keep a journal or download some apps to see how far you've come. One thing I like to do with my clients is stop and take a look back. I like to remind them about things they weren't able to do in the beginning that they now do with ease. Sometimes they don't even realize how much they've improved until I point it out and then I see how proud they are and how much it impacts morale.
8. Make your workouts enjoyable.
Your workout should be challenging but enjoyable. Keep your body guessing, don't stick to the same routine everyday. Make sure to have fun with it: make a good playlist, invite a friend, be able to laugh at yourself. You have no idea how hard I have laughed at some of the faces I make when I'm working out!
9. Follow fitness accounts on social media.
You can get free workouts and recipes from social media accounts. It's very motivating to see fitness journeys, before and after pictures, or even have a fitness hero. Some of my favorites are Massy Arias, Alexia Clark, Keri Pilates, Jillian Michaels, Dana Linn Bailey and Mamacita Fitness of course ;) You can find so much through social media, just remember that not every person in workout gear is a professional!
10. Love your body.
Many times, you are your own worst critic and this can make you talk down to yourself or have other unhealthy behaviors. You may think, I don't love my body! I want to change my body! Well, that's a big problem. You only have one body, this is what you were born with and this is your permanent home. Be kind to your body and mind and you will feel better. As you progress, you will learn to love and appreciate your body for what it can do and have more self confidence too!