5 Tips to Keep You Motivated on Your Fitness Journey

Aug 23, 2013

Written by: Ashley Shade, Personal Trainer, O2 Fitness Wake Forest

We've all been there. 

You've started a workout regimen, changed your eating habits, and you're seeing some results, but the initial excitement is starting to wear off.  This can happen to the best of us, and for a plethora of reasons.

Maybe you had the highest of expectations, wanted a quick fix, or tried changing your diet, but it's making you miserable!  Here are a few simple tips to help you stay driven throughout your fitness journey! (and by fitness journey, I mean your fitness life!)

5 Tips to Keep You Motivated

Think wellness, not weight loss.

You have to eat every day, so why not eat better every day?  Sometimes obsessing over numbers like your weight, calories, grams of fat, or carbs is hurting rather than helping.  Sometimes it's just better to start simple, and focus on just being a more fit, healthier you.

Set reasonable goals.

Ask yourself if what you are trying to accomplish is reasonable.  Trying to achieve too much in too little time can actually set you back.  Losing 50 pounds in 2 months is unreasonable, but losing 10 pounds in 2 months isn't.

LIMIT but do not ELIMINATE.

Eliminating your favorite foods will just make you want or crave them more.  This is an easy thing to do, and ties back to Tip #1.  You're smart, right?  You have the common sense to know that drinking soda probably isn't the best habit to have, but if you've been drinking soda everyday for years, it's going to be that much harder to quit cold turkey!  Do yourself a favor, and wean yourself off the bad stuff or set a limit.

Take stock of any and all of the positive changes.

Instead of focusing only on the changes you aren’t seeing yet (i.e. a drop in your scale weight), focus on the benefits you are noticing, like your increased energy level from exercising.

Be kind to yourself.

Give yourself a hug once in awhile! Train hard, eat right, sleep well, but once a week, allow yourself an indulgence like get a massage, or simply take some time for yourself to relax.  You earned it!

So if you find yourself riding the struggle bus with a lack of motivation, just remember these tips, maybe re-evaluate, but NEVER quit!



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