What's up people? Liz here. But I'm only here for a hot second to introduce the blog's very first guest writer! Today's post is written by Lauren Kelly, a certified personal trainer, B.S. in Nutrition, and online coach (and long time insta-friend of mine.) You guys can look forward to more guest posts in the future from badass peeps with CREDENTIALS. Be sure to check out Lauren's personal instagram and link to her own blog HERE ; in the mean time, enjoy her post on MOTIVATION right now...just keep reading.
We are over 5 weeks into the New Year and you may find that the motivation you had for your fitness goals and "New Year, Who Dis" mentality may be fading fast...
That's the thing about motivation... It fades. Us as humans, are not always motivated. Especially when it comes to our fitness goals. However, that does not mean that we just give up when the times get tough...
Motivation means "the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way". Since this is a health and fitness blog, we are talking in regards to living a healthy lifestyle, eating well, being active and working out on a regular basis. Well what happens when you are new to fitness? When we have goals we made and habits we want to change and the fire we had within us is starting to fade...
This blog post is to give you some insight into motivation-- how you can get motivated, how to stay motivated, and what to do when those feelings of motivation start to disappear...
FIRST, it is important to determine why you are doing what you're doing. Why are you trying to eat more vegetables and go to the gym regularly? Why do you want to lose 5 lbs or gain muscle? WHAT IS YOUR WHY? Are you trying to get healthy because you want to have more energy to play with your children? Do you want to be able to have a baby a few years down the road? Do you want to feel confident in your own skin? Determining your "why" means defining a clear sense of purpose that allows your to focus your efforts on what's most important It will help you continue pushing forward when things get tough or obstacles come in your way.
This is Step 1... So what is YOUR why?
Also, along those lines... It is important to determine whether or not your motivation for getting fit is based off extrinsic motivation or intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within us -- working out because you want to feel confident in yourself, working out because it makes you feel good mentally and physically.
Extrinsic motivation comes from external sources -- motivation to get a shredded six pack, to make your ex regret the day he left you, or stepping on the scale and seeing that you lost 10 lbs...
Now, there isn't anything wrong with either type of motivation, per say, however you are guaranteed to have greater success when you use INTRINSIC motivation as your MAIN source of motivation. You have to want to be fit and healthy-- for yourself, to improve your quality of life, to look and feel better on the inside and out... that is how you will be successful.
Some more tips for motivation?
---- Goal Setting. Another great idea to keep motivation flowing. You will want to set long term goals, however, you will want to break down those long term goals into short term goals as well. This will help you stay motivated in the short term, as opposed to feeling like there's no way you will ever reach your goal. Short term goals will help you stay motivated, in the short term, which will help you reach your long term goals.
The key to successful goal setting is making sure they are S.M.A.R.T.
This means making sure they are:
Specific (narrow down your goal and make it specific)
Measurable (you need to be able to track your goal to make sure you are progressing-- put numbers to your goal)
Achievable (think challenging not impossible)
Relevant (your goal needs to be something that you are excited about, that you want to accomplish, something that pertains to your "why")
Timely (set a time frame to your goal-- think long term and short term here)
--- Make it a Lifestyle. What do i mean by this? Don't look at being healthy as something that you HAVE to do, but rather something that you are lucky enough to get to do. Living a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean that you have to take drastic measures, it means incorporating fitness into your life in ways that you enjoy. Maybe this means taking a workout class because that's what you find the most fun. Maybe it means teaming up with a friend and meal prepping together for the week. Or taking your dog for long walks in the park daily. You are more than likely to stick to your fitness goals if you find something ENJOYABLE for YOU, not what Lisa from accounting finds enjoyable. If you incorporate healthy habits into your daily life, you'll be less likely to dread doing them. It'll just become a habit, that you do regardless of whether or not you "feel like it".
---Realizing It's Not All Sunshine and Rainbows. Listen, it's just the way it is. No one is 100% motivated every single day. It's important to realize that motivation fades, and on those days where your motivation is at 0%, it's important to have a game plan. Maybe this means going straight to the gym after work instead of allowing yourself to go home first where you "accidentally" stay on the couch the rest of the night and skip your workout. Maybe it means staying out of the office break room that's filled with snacks when your willpower is less than it's best. Have a plan for what your going to do when the times are tough and you aren't "feeling it".
Which brings me to my next point...
---Dedication Over Motivation. Maybe this is cliche, but motivation fades. According to the dictionary, Dedication means self sacrificing devotion or loyalty. Some synonyms: commitment, constancy, and loyalty. So what's this mean? It means doing what you said you were going to do when you don't feel like it. It means making your WHY the priority over what you want most in the particular moment. It's not always easy to choose hitting your macros over the delicious cookie before bed. But every time you make the tough choice to say "my WHY is more important than x,y,z" the easier it gets to say "no" over time. Every time you stay dedicated to your goals, despite how hard it may seem, the closer you are getting to accomplishing those goals. Those small steps add up and turn into leaps and bounds over time. Let your dedication kick in when your motivation (temporarily) fades.
--Visuals. While I am mostly motivated by myself (and the intrinsic motivation I mentioned earlier), one cannot deny the power of visualization. This could be a motivational quote, a motivational jar with kick ass quotes you read every morning or when things get tough, a vision board, a motivational wallpaper that's on your computer screen or cell phone. Put your goals somewhere that you can see and can motivate you day in and day out. It's your friendly reminder that you've got goals to crush and that you are working hard to accomplish them.
So i hope you find those tips helpful when it comes to getting motivated and staying motivated towards your goals.
So how do you take those tips and implement them into your life when it comes to your diet and your training? Continue reading for some tangible examples...
TRAINING:
- Schedule in your workouts. Make it like an appointment with yourself. You wouldn't cancel your appointment with your doctor so don't skip the appointment with yourself to get in a workout. Go no matter if you are or aren't feeling motivated.
- Hire a trainer. You can't cancel your workout if you are meeting someone to get a training session in. (Well you can, but then you look like an asshole... lol i digress).
- Go to the gym when you have the least amount of excuses. For most of us, this is in the morning. Don't wait until after work to go to the gym when you know you are going to be tired, hungry, and have all the other excuses in the book to skip the gym once you're off. Or this could mean going from work straight to the gym. Find what works best for you.
- Remember getting there is the hardest part. If you aren't motivated to get to the gym, just get there and warm up. If you do that, and still aren't feeling it, then you can leave. But most likely, once you get there, and warm up, you'll be feeling better and less likely to cut your workout short, or skip your workout all together.
- Wear a cute outfit. Don't go to the gym looking frumpy and feeling ugly. Put on your favorite leggings and favorite shirt and rock it. Look good, feel good.
NUTRITION:
- Plan ahead. If you know you are hungry at a certain time of the day, have a snack or something easy to grab so you don't find yourself reaching for the less nutritious option.
- Know yourself. If you know that you can't stop at one serving of trail mix, try weighing them out and putting them in individual packages beforehand. That way you can grab a single serving and be less likely to eat the whole bag.
-Time. If you eat and are still hungry, give yourself 20 minutes before you go back for more. Your body takes time to digest and realize that you are full. Waiting will allow yourself to see if you are actually still hungry. If you are still hungry after 20 minutes, you can get yourself something else to eat instead of realizing you aren't actually hungry and are just eating mindlessly.
- Plan in what you crave. If you are the type of person that craves sweets at night, plan in something that you know you get to enjoy and look forward to before before bed. Plan this into your macros, at the beginning of the day so you will be more likely to hit your macros knowing you have something to look forward to at the end of the night. It may help you to know that you will be able to have that ice cream bar before you go to sleep night.
-Give yourself a meal plan. If I know that i am feeling particularly snack-y and not wanting to hit my macros, i'll plan my meals in advance. I will choose foods that i enjoy, that i know fuel and nourish me, and will make me feel my best. Then, no matter how snack-y i am feeling, i don't give myself an option but to eat the foods i have planned, at the times i planned to eat them. This makes hitting my meals/macros less up to chance and I'll spend less time thinking about food because it's already planned out.
- Ask yourself how that will make you feel. Personally, i love ice cream but ice cream does not always love me (LOL). It's not worth it to me to always eat the ice cream knowing i will feel like crap afterwards. Ask yourself how you are going to feel if you eat x,y,z and if the answer is "ehh or not great" opt for the food that is going to make your body feel good and nourished instead.
---Make a decision and be okay with it. Often times when dieting, this means going places, going to events, and being around food. Whether you are going to eat the food or not, make a decision and be okay with it. You don't have to eat the food that's there. No one can make you eat something. Be okay saying "No, thank you" and not having to justify yourself. Also, don't give the people around you an attitude if you are choosing to eat or not to eat something.
I hope this blog post gives you a little bit of insight into motivation and helps you realize that you aren't alone when it comes to losing motivation. It's okay to lose motivation, but it's not okay to give up when times get tough. Remember your WHY, remember why you want to accomplish your fitness goals, and create those habits that will make sticking to your goals easier over time. When motivation fails, dedication kicks in.
What are some of your tips and tricks for "staying motivated" -- leave a comment and share your thoughts below.
Let me know if you have any ideas for blog topics (in regards to lifting, mindset, or nutrition) for future posts and talk soon,
Lauren
Follow @ohh_lkelly on instagram