5 Tips for Re-Igniting Workout Motivation

I'm not one that is motivated by a number on the scale.

I'm motivated by how I look in the mirror, how well I fit into my clothes, and how good I feel inside.

It's difficult when life gets busy because the first thing that goes on the back burner is working out!

Probably because this takes some time, effort, and minor planning.

I try to make it easy on myself by using some of these tricks to re-ignite my motivation!

1. Fitness inspiration on my cell phone

{Original Source}

How often do we look at our phones?

But seriously though, it's ridiculous.

I find some motivating quotes on Pinterest and use them as my iPhone lock screen.
This is mine right now!

2. Making dates with friends

Everyone, meet my hot friend Callie. She's the one teaching the Zumba class!

She has made Zumba an integral part of her life, and we can do the same.

I make a point to either hit her classes up in Lehi cause she gets me pumped, go with a friend to BYU aerobic classes, or I take a yoga class with Ryan at school! {I've also taken tennis & basketball!}

When I have a commitment to go work out with a friend, I don't make excuses of "I don't have time" or "I don't feel like it", cause someone else is depending on me!

Plus it's an awesome way to scratch working out off your list & to make time to hang with a friend!

3. Grocery shop after working out...with a list

{Marinated pork, steamed veggies, avocado, texas toast...sugar-free jell-o pudding, strawberries}
Life is always easier with a list.
When I'm tired & hungry I tend to gravitate towards my favorite comfort foods.
After I work out and feel motivated to continue the "feel good" train is such a good time to hit the grocery store! I tend to choose those healthier alternatives.
Such a good way to trick that 'lil brain of mine.

4. Cute workout clothes

{Sports bra, Tennies: Nike//Tank: F21//Yoga pants: VS}

If you wanna feel good, you gotta look good!

Even if you are working up a heavy sweat, at least you are looking bangin' while doing it.

I'm totally a Nike girl through and through, but only shop at the Nike outlet.

I get my basics there, such as: supportive sport bras, spandex, and workout shoes.

I also love my Victoria Secret yoga pants, spandex capris from Ross, and tanks from Forever 21.

Whenever I feel like my workout wardrobe is lookin' sad, a few cheap shirts from F21 help cure that!

5. Just do it!

Most of the time it isn't our body that can't work out or pick healthy food choices.

It's the obstacles our mind has to overcome in order to make these choices!

Nike has a point here. Just get your bum in those cute workout clothes and get out there and just do it!

Getting Back On Track

This past week with school has been absolutely crazy!

Between homework, quizzes, readings, and group projects I have definitely not made the time needed for my body to re-coop with some healthy food, good exercise, and lots of sleep.

The only exercise I've done is walk the 30 minutes to and from school.

Plus there was hardly any decent food in the house meaning I had my share of In-n-Out drive-thru trips.
This obviously calls for some re-grouping, so I ask myself: what changes can I make this week so that my body is fueled properly & has enough energy to get through the week?

Although I fell off the healthy eating/exercising track this past week, 

I try to accept the fact that I'm not perfect and am not too hard on myself.

I find that when I'm hard on myself about this kind of stuff then I feel guilty, 

which impedes my progress more than anything.

I just hop back on the train and am plugging at it all over again!

I'm not one to make huge commitments on myself like:
"I have to exercise everyday or I have this consequence"
I know this works for some people, but definitely not for me.
I make it a point to plan exercise dates ahead of time so that I'm much more committed.
I hit up BYU aerobic classes with friends, I joined an intramural basketball team, I hit up Gold's Gym with Ryan, and I also have a Zumba Kinect game to make things fun!

Now that this week is starting to slow down, it was refreshing to go grocery shopping at Winco {seriously the best place ever} to buy a truckload of healthy food to stock us up for the next few weeks.

I had an intramural basketball game on Wednesday & I finally tried out my Zumba Kinect game that Evan got me for my birthday {back in September, I know I'm a horrible sister}.

The game totally kicked my tush but it's nice to feel sore again! :)

Other healthy posts:

Goals for 2013

Getting Healthy

Healthy Snack Alternatives

Getting Healthy

{Salmon, salad, a tiny bit of mac & cheese with crystal light water}

Last Thursday I was soooo excited to get my new Victoria Secret swimsuit in the mail so I hurried up and tried it on...only to find that it didn't look like I wanted it to.

Is my body really shaped like that nowadays?

I spend so much time working to find clothes that compliment my shape, that I didn't even know what my shape was anymore. I just figured that a little exercise would magically take care of things.

Not that I'm uncomfortable in my body or embarrassed by any means {I'm still too confident for my own good sometimes} but I was just surprised at what the perception of my body was and what it actually looked like.

*Flashback to the summer after my Freshmen year of college {3 years ago}* 

I had definitely gained the Freshmen 15 and my mom asked if I would do the HCG diet with her.

It was my first time ever being on a diet, and I said sure! Why not.

If any of you know what the HCG diet is, you know that it is SERIOUSLY unhealthy.

You can only eat between noon and midnight, you can only eat 600 calories a day, you can't do any exercising, and you must drink lots and lots of water.

Every nutritionists nightmare I'm sure.

Suffice it to say I wasn't a very happy person.

My brothers were even begging me to eat a cookie so I wouldn't be in such a horrible mood all the time. I lost 7 pounds during that 2 week period, which ending up staying off only because I just went back to a decent diet and started exercising again.

What I did learn during the HCG fiasco, is how much I was eating and what kind of crap I was eating to fuel my body. With how consumed I was by what I was eating every minute of the day, I had a lot of time to take notes. I was eating as much as the boys were, drinking soda left and right, and honestly never ate fruits and veggies. So horrible.

Which leads us to now.

It honestly just hit me between the eyeballs when I stood there in my new swimsuit, 

looking at myself in the mirror....I just can't eat like this anymore.

I have cut the soda down significantly {I have maybe 2 a month?}, but eating pizza and random snacks from the kitchen aren't going to cut it. I need to make my body a priority.

I snapped a picture to remind myself what I'm working for.

I'm going to be a crazy nut & continue to refuse to step on a scale.

{Maybe when I'm down to what I want to look like, I will?}

But, in another week and a half, I'll take another picture of me in my swimsuit and see the difference a healthy diet and some good ole exercise can do in 2 weeks time.

Within the next two weeks I'm going to work on transforming my body by doing the following things:

+ Make conscious decisions to choose healthy alternatives when eating & snacking

+ Drink at least 2-3 bottles of water a day {even with Crystal Light it counts!}

+ Watch my portion size, when I eat to much I instantly get a stomach ache and we want to avoid that! Cut in half what I would normally eat, and see how much that fills me up.

+ Pay attention and listen to my body, when it says its full...it's full!
+ Take advantage of my Golds Gym & BYU Aerobic classes as well as my Zumba Kinect game that my awesome brother got me for my birthday :)

I'm a complete rookie at this people.

I've been researching the best recipes and healthy snack ideas,
 and I'm really excited to see where this will take me!

If you all don't mind, I would love to share my progress here and would love any food/exercise pointers you have tried out and have seen success with :)