Here is YOUR Motivation

Finding a reason to get off the couch is the hardest part. Convincing yourself that the long haul of getting fit and healthy is difficult. BUT it is all worth it.

This week marked 30 days at the gym without a week day missed! I used to try to do Insanity for 30 days and could never make it. I could never push myself through that one day where I just didn't feel like doing much of anything. However, thanks to this blog, I have stayed 100% motivated and met one of my short term goals!

I often visit other peoples fitness blogs and seek their help because I am well aware that I don't know it all. I am the furthest from knowing it all. In this blog I want to supply you a few fitness tips of WHY you should take this journey yourself and why you can do it. Because you can.

21 Fitness Tips (most from other bloggers)
1. Don't force exercise, but start with being active every day. When you can show yourself how much better you feel just with getting up and moving, you will be more convinced to start doing more.

2. Keep a food journal, or use a food tracker app. When you can see everything that you have been eating, you may be able to spot your problem area of what you need to cut out of your diet most.

3. Thoughts are powerful; pay attention to yours. Calling yourself the fat kid and making yourself the butt of all jokes isn't going to get you to the gym. Talk about yourself in a positive manner, even if you're talking to yourself in the mirror.

4. Answer two questions: What story does your current body tell about you? What story do you want it to tell? Use this answer to motivate you and continue to motivate you every time you want to throw in the towel.

5. Find a form of exercise you enjoy. When you enjoy your workout, you are less likely to give up. When you hate your workout, you are more likely to skip days at the gym.

6. Keep in mind that striving for perfection usually leads to disappointment. Set reasonable goals. I know the VS models would be an ideal body, but they also don't eat and tan too much. Strive for a body that is healthy for you. This trip is about healthy, not skinny.

7. Don't diet. Switch the letters around and EDIT. Make this a lifestyle change and edit what you were previously doing. Eat healthier, workout, think positive. Don't cut out everything that you did before to become skinny.

8. Take a day off. Have a day of the week set up for you to relax. But remember #1, stay active every day. Even if it is cleaning the house, be up and moving.

9. Schedule a cheat meal. Write on your calendar that you can cheat on ONE meal every 7 to 10 days. This way you have something to reward yourself with for all of your healthy eating. Don't go overboard with this cheat but enjoy your meal.

10. Weigh yourself often to keep your weight at the top of your mind. Many people say not to do this but for me it keeps me on track. Even if I gained .3 pounds from yesterday I know I need to edit a bit more and eat healthier that day. I know how hard I need to workout and what to do/not to do.

11. Find your faithful support. Find the one person who will hold you accountable and give you high fives when you've done good, however they wont throw it in your face when things don't go 100% right.

12. Display your results. So your Facebook friend list might decrease a bit, but at least it is motivating you! Show your results, even if it is just a small result! Distance, calories, pounds, days at the gym, etc..

13. Schedule exercise like an appointment, or like work. You can't miss it, you can't be late, and you have to perform to the best of your abilities. When it is a scheduled event on your calendar you are less likely to cancel last minute or skip. This is part of MAKING TIME for your workout.

14. Celebrate small wins! Buy something for yourself, enjoy a night out, get a pedicure, etc.. but avoid rewarding yourself with food. Besides your #9 reward.

15. Don't beat yourself up. Even if you give in and eat a cheat food, don't beat yourself up and give up. Just keep moving forward. Nobody can be perfect 100% of the time. And if you are going to cheat just make sure you don't go overboard on eating your cheat food.

16. Never go more than 2 days without exercise. When you sit for 2 days, you think it's okay to sit for a third. Then a fourth. Then you fall off the wagon and have to start over. Nobody wants to start over.

17. Drink more water. Most adults need about 2 quarts of water each day. Are you getting your proper amount of water?

18. Read other success stories. This will give you motivation to keep going and show you what you can do! Doesn't it make you happy knowing that YOU could be the success story someone is reading someday?

19. Don't compare yourself to others, it only puts you in a negative mindset.

20. Take before and after pictures. I look at my before pictures all the time and it shows me why I should keep going. Not because I hate my body but because I have a goal!

21. At first they'll ask you why you're doing it. But later they'll ask you how you did it. Do not listen to the people who find it fun to make fun of people for eating healthy or for going to the gym. Chances are those people also sit on the couch and do nothing but drink and watch TV. There will be haters, there will be doubters, there will be non-believers, and then there will be you, proving them wrong.

I still struggle with a lot of these and have yet to get my mindset 100% where it needs to be. Just remember that just like the weight doesn't come off over night, your mindset doesn't change either. Convincing yourself that you don't need a candy bar at every gas station, or a piece of pizza once a week, or a pop 3 times a day, whatever your bad habits are, takes time. Just like picking up the good habits takes time. Anymore, the gym is my favorite time of the day. I often text my boyfriend and say, "Probably wont be able to make it to the gym today, no time" and then 30 minutes later I find myself texting him while laughing, "lol just kidding I would rather be at the gym than doing homework anyways". Make the gym your new favorite place.

Each day you travel down a road. That road is life and needs some taxpayers to repave it. There are potholes, bumps, bad grading, and SO much more. Just remember that you can always get past these obstacles. Without obstacles your road would be boring and straight with no challenges. You would fall asleep because the scenery never changes. Be thankful for the bumps and as so many that I know would say, "speed up and see if you can ramp it".

Reminder: If you can dream it, you can do it.

xoxo, Audrey

P.S. This week our community lost two amazing people to the nastiest sickness in the world, cancer. Each and every day we find ourselves asking God why he would take these two at such a young age, why he is punishing our community and those families. God claims the best people on earth to be his angels up in heaven and I truly believe that. Pray every day that those families can find a way to keep moving forward with their memories forever gracing them, and pray for every family in the world that has someone battling cancer.  You are in my prayers Johnson and Spencer families. <3