3 easy ways to stay motivated to Workout
"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases"Staying motivated to exercise can be so hard. There are so many distractions such as daily life, going to work, children, seeing others progress faster than you, and so much more.
I’ve been there. I know what it's like to struggle to find that fire you need to stay motivated to exercise. In this blog post, I’m sharing three easy ways to maintain your motivation to exercise. So, if you are tired of being unmotivated, you are in the right place.
How I lost 30+ pounds before the pandemic
In 2019, I moved to Sicily, Italy with my family. I was so excited to experience the beautiful culture that I'd only seen on tv and Instagram. Well, Italian culture became my everyday life for the next three years. Once I landed in Italy it was my goal to lose weight because I had left America weighing 250lbs; well at least that's what the scale said the last time I looked at it.
I knew I had to make some changes and I did.
I found a meal plan that at the time was very strict but I only had to stick to it for 21 days to see a difference. I was seeing results as soon as the first week. I woke up daily at 5:30 am to work out before my husband and children woke up. I always found a workout plan on beach body to stick to. I’m not a fan of hitting the gym so my living room became my gym.
Fast forward a year and I had lost 34 pounds (see results on Instagram in my health highlight). I was so happy. My family and I traveled to so many places in Europe and I could see the happiness on my face in pictures the more I lost weight. I was my best self. Then covid happened.
Although I’m a stay-at-home mother and spent most of my time at home, my freedom was taken away like most people in the world. I slowly, but surely gained all that weight back. Restrictions in Italy were like no other. People around the world believed Italian covid restrictions were inhumane.
After gaining the weight back and then some, I had to figure out how to get back motivated. I didn’t want to go back to the strict meal plan and all the things I did before even though they proved results. So, what helped me get started and back motivated was using the easiest things I could remember that were helpful and successful on my last journey.
#1 GET CUTE SIS
What do you mean? I’m glad you asked. You know the saying, “when you look good, you feel good”? Well, this is it! Get up and get cute. Do your hair. Beat your face. Prepare for the task ahead, which is exercising.
Anything in this world that we do, we dress accordingly. You go to court; you wear business attire. You go to church, you dress conservatively. You run errands at Target, you wear a bun and sweat pants or leggings. There is an unspoken dress code for any place you can think of.
The gym is no different! You need the appropriate preparedness to enter the gym and consistently show up as your best self. If you want a cute workout outfit to simply boost your confidence, then try ordering an outfit from Amazon or Old Navy. I love the variety of clothing they have and as a plus-size woman, I need those high-waisted leggings to cover my stomach and to assist with no chaffing on my thighs.
Old Navy is great with providing the length on leggings as I stand five feet and ten inches tall. There is one brand of leggings from Amazon that I highly recommend. Over 18,000 reviews and 50+ colors to choose from so you know everyone is buying them. These leggings do not roll down as you move. You must try at least one pair.
Click here to check out a variety of cute workout attire for all shapes and sizes.
Remember when you look good, you feel good so, do it up as you see fit! Dress in attire that makes you feel good!
#2 TAKE THE PICTURE
With social media so prevalent in our world today; did you know there’s a saying, “if you didn't post it, it didn’t happen”. Now, we know that isn't true and everyone isn’t into social media. But social media proof is a real thing. As far as taking pictures to keep yourself motivated, it has nothing to do with posting on social media unless you choose to.
I encourage you to take pictures daily after working out because the pictures DONT LIE!!
So many times, I have felt discouraged about the scale not moving. I mean, I’d go into a depression and disregard everything I've accomplished if that scale didn't move. Taking the pictures saved my life. The picture comparisons are the best and easiest way to stay motivated to exercise without the interference of the scale.
I’d encourage you to take pictures daily. Why? Because one, you are cute and feeling good and two because you will be able to make comparisons from day one to day seven. Or from day one to day thirty.
Make an album on your phone and snap it up. It’s really that simple and don’t forget to smile. I know the feeling of not being happy where we start out, but when you look back, you’ll be happy to see the smile on your face at the beginning of your journey.
#3 DRINK YOUR WATER
There are so many benefits to drinking water. Water assists with flushing toxins out of our body, prevent constipation, protects organs, and clear up acne, just to name a few benefits. And I know what you’re saying, I don’t like drinking water, there’s no way I’m drinking a gallon of water a day. I know the feeling but check this out.
There are so many different types of water bottles to keep you motivated. My favorite is my hydro jug. It's the cutest water jug anyone could have. It’s a variety of designs for EVERYONE! No one will feel left out. Again, it's cute. If you’re looking for the best water bottle for you, look no further.
Click here to take a look at a variety of water jugs.
Here are a few things I love about it. It’s half a gallon jug. I purchased a sleeve to go over my water jug and the sleeve comes with a strap. The strap allows me to wear it cross-body or over my shoulder. The sleeve prevents the water bottle from sweating and leaving water stains on everything. The sleeve also holds my phone and keys while inside the gym. I even take my jug to the beach-on-beach day with my family as well.
Change Your Mindset
Those are my three easy ways to stay motivated to exercise. They are very simple and easy to commit to. But did you notice the one thing all three ways have in common?
It’s THE MINDSET! They all deal with the mind. You look good. Only you know what to wear to make you feel good and that’s all that matters. No one else needs to know. You are looking good so you can take the steps to start feeling good. And stay motivated while doing it.
Taking pictures; you are what you see in the mirror. Only you can put in the work to see results or put in no work and not see any results. It's all up to you. Your pictures don’t have to be for social media, although, you will one hundred percent, every time, inspire someone else to take steps to be better physically. Those pictures are for you.
And lastly, drinking water just has too many benefits to the body to ever leave it out. It assists so much in the process of exercising and being healthy overall.
I urge you to try these three things. No pressure. Only support. And if you want to share photos or progress with me, feel free to email me or contact me via Instagram. I am on this journey with you as I continue my weight loss journey. I hope these tips will assist you on your journey.