Like everyone else, my motivation to exercise waxes and wanes. I'm waning right now, for sure. For the last few years, I've tried to pay more attention to how I feel at certain points during the year, and Fall to Christmas is always hard for me. I think it has to do with the change of seasons, the fact that it's dark so much more, not to mention getting colder. In the summer, I have no problem hopping out of bed, walking in the early dawn hours and then coming home and doing some resistance training or heavy duty cardio.
But when it's cold and dark? Not so much.
I do try to think about ski season and conditioning for that, but since we're at about the furthest point in the year from bathing suit season, and right now I could hide any extra LBS under heavy ski clothes, again, not hugely motivated.
So this is when I've got to dig deep and really keep my act together. I came across a really good list of ideas for staying motivated regardless of the time of year. I pulled out some of my faves to share to keep us all thinking about staying on track:
1. Remind yourself how you feel after a workout. Endorphins, baby!
2. You time. This is when you make YOURSELF a priority. Not your husband, not your kids, not your extended family, not your job. It's about you. And trust me, you'll have more to give back if you take this time for youself.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories, which I do most of the time, and let's face it, doing so is really one of the most effective ways to lose weight, you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit. So this is just one step closer to your goals.
4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun (and to me it is, except for running days which I would only define loosely as fun!). If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you. My vanity is a BIG motivator!
6. Health/fitness magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. I see what exercise does for others and I find that motivating.
7. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences. I hope people learn from mine, too :)
8. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website or a magazine has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
9. Forums/support groups. Get with a group of people (message me if you need one!). I have challenge groups on Facebook that help me keep on track, and I have a whole group that I call my Fit Friends who I swap info with all the time. Find a group that works for you, and then make it a point to check in daily. It really helps.
10. Rewards. Set a goal for yourself and when you achieve it, reward yourself in a non-food way. I like to go to my friend's day spa. She really spoils me!
11. New clothes in smaller sizes. I love it. My husband who monitors the budget -- not so much.
13. Feeling strong. When I'm having a really good workout or run (yes, sometimes I have a good run!) I envision myself kicking ass and taking names!
14. Stress relief. Mad about something? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference. After you're finished, you'll be calmer and possbly not even remember what was annoying you!
15. Time for contemplation. Mostly this is when I walk. I love having time to mull things over or just listen to music I enjoy. When I lift or do HIIT workouts, I do try to concentrate. Science shows concentrating recruits muscle fibers more effectively.
16. Get a workout partner. There is nothing better for accountability than having someone to report in to or to serve as your cheerleader. In grad school, when I first lost a significant amount of weight, my friend Marci and I worked out together every day. As I lost weight, she'd cheer me on and leave me little notes and cards to celebrate my success. That was way cool.
17. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
18. A coach or trainer. I can coach you for FREE :) Message me!
19. Keep track. I log my workouts through Beachbody's WOWY.com and it keeps me accountable and motivated. You wouldn't believe what I'll do to make sure I get a scheduled workout done. I take DVDs with me when I travel and make sure I find an empty room to jump around in.
20. Compare. Take photos, measure, weigh. Give yourself several yardsticks by which to track your progress. I've completed programs where I didn't lose a lot of weight, but I lost a lot of inches and I could see results in my pictures (and how my clothes fit).
21. Train for something. Whether it's a 5K race or triathlon, just signing up will keep you motivated. I'm doing this now, and I'm already panicking on how I will keep up with my running in the winter. I don't want to re-learn to run in the spring, so I'm working hard to keep up!
22. Avoiding feeling like Jaba the Hut. That's how I feel when I take more than one day off a week. Obsessive? I don't know, but I do know how great I feel when I DO stay on track. That's what gets me out of bed on those cold, dark mornings. For me, exercise is non-negotiable. It's going to happen, I just need to figure out create ways to do it sometimes.
23. A healthy future. I want to be a good role model for my kids AND be healthy for when I do finally get grandkids (although I probably should have started having kids earlier).
24. The scale. Some people hate it, but to me, it's just another tool to see how I'm doing, even for maintenance. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up.
25. Achieving my goals. Whether it's weight, running a certan distance/time, completing a workout program -- whatever -- set realistic goals and be specific. Do it. Track. And then celebrate your achievements!
26. Go public. Talk about your goals, programs and progress publicly. Post it on your blog or Facebook page. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen when people are "watching." AND you'll be surprised how supportive people are. Suddenly, YOU'RE motivating someone else, which is way cool.
27. Motivational quotes. Maybe it's cheesy, but I like to find them on the Internet and post them on my Facebook page. It lets people know what my mindset is and why I do what I do.
28. Compliments. When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more. Again with the vanity!
29. Beach vacation or high school reunion. Eeeeeek! There's a hilarious line on one of my favorite workout DVDs. Chalene Johnson shows a move and for encouragement she says, "Imagine you're walking away from your friends at your high school reunion, IN A BIKINI!" Yes, the thought of that drives ME to the basement to pump some iron!
What motivates YOU?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge
Note added 10/19: I originally said this challenge would be Nov. 8 - Dec. 28, but the 8th is a Thursday. We'll start Monday, Nov. 12! Be there!
It's that time of year -- you know, that time when holidays collide. Halloween candy and Christmas cookies sit side by side on the store shelves. Man, I love this time of year. And I hate it.
Every year I say the same thing -- I'm going to be really disciplined about what I eat this year. But let's face it, that's no fun! Last year was miserable in terms of fitness. I had surgery on Dec. 9 and was banned from working out until after the New Year. So I sort of gave up. I ate gluten, dairy, sugar -- OK, I really ate EVERYTHING -- and I felt so bad by the time the last Christmas cookie was gone that I swore I'd never do it again.
This year will be different. For reals! Because I know, madness! Why are we doing a challenge that encompasses the holidays? No, we're not going on some crackpot starvation diet over the holidays. The point here is to set some personal goals and keep ourselves somewhat on track. Frankly, I am so, so relieved that I'll be able to exercise this year. But through our online Facebook support group and our Beachbody programs -- yes, you know I sell them and that I love them! -- we can perhaps keep ourselves from straying too far from our norm and then feeling like we wished we'd asked Santa to bring us liposuction instead of a new sweater.
This challenge is just like the one a group of us just finsihed this fall. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:
Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge
This challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying. Some of the fall challenge people are staying on so we've got a good group!
This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.
But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.
What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can add you to the Facebook group.
2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them. (I know some of you who have done these challenges before also already have a Beachbody program on hand to use. In that case, just get yourself on Shakeology, the protein shake. I explained about Shakeology HERE.)
3. We'll start Thursday, Nov. 8. Every single Beachbody program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.
4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountable.
5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the duration of the challenge(Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death.).
I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. The Beachbody program I'm currently following is ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women). I'm also training for a triathlon, so I'm doing some running and swimming, too.
We'll officially run the challenge Nov. 12 - Dec. 28, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for as long as the group would like it to be open. That way, if you're doing one of the longer programs, you'll have support the whole way through!
Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.
I say this every time we do a challenge: This isn't a short-term fix -- it's a lifestyle change. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.
And an important note: We're not going to starve ourselves over the holidays. Will we eat Christmas cookies? If we want to! Will we drink egg nog? I hope so! My personal goal is to enjoy in moderation, do some kick ass workouts (which is what keeps me sane), and not wake up on January 1, 2013, unable to button my pants!
Who's with me?!
It's that time of year -- you know, that time when holidays collide. Halloween candy and Christmas cookies sit side by side on the store shelves. Man, I love this time of year. And I hate it.
Every year I say the same thing -- I'm going to be really disciplined about what I eat this year. But let's face it, that's no fun! Last year was miserable in terms of fitness. I had surgery on Dec. 9 and was banned from working out until after the New Year. So I sort of gave up. I ate gluten, dairy, sugar -- OK, I really ate EVERYTHING -- and I felt so bad by the time the last Christmas cookie was gone that I swore I'd never do it again.
This year will be different. For reals! Because I know, madness! Why are we doing a challenge that encompasses the holidays? No, we're not going on some crackpot starvation diet over the holidays. The point here is to set some personal goals and keep ourselves somewhat on track. Frankly, I am so, so relieved that I'll be able to exercise this year. But through our online Facebook support group and our Beachbody programs -- yes, you know I sell them and that I love them! -- we can perhaps keep ourselves from straying too far from our norm and then feeling like we wished we'd asked Santa to bring us liposuction instead of a new sweater.
This challenge is just like the one a group of us just finsihed this fall. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:
Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge
This challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying. Some of the fall challenge people are staying on so we've got a good group!
This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.
But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.
What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can add you to the Facebook group.
2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them. (I know some of you who have done these challenges before also already have a Beachbody program on hand to use. In that case, just get yourself on Shakeology, the protein shake. I explained about Shakeology HERE.)
3. We'll start Thursday, Nov. 8. Every single Beachbody program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.
4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountable.
5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the duration of the challenge(Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death.).
I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. The Beachbody program I'm currently following is ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women). I'm also training for a triathlon, so I'm doing some running and swimming, too.
We'll officially run the challenge Nov. 12 - Dec. 28, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for as long as the group would like it to be open. That way, if you're doing one of the longer programs, you'll have support the whole way through!
Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.
I say this every time we do a challenge: This isn't a short-term fix -- it's a lifestyle change. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.
And an important note: We're not going to starve ourselves over the holidays. Will we eat Christmas cookies? If we want to! Will we drink egg nog? I hope so! My personal goal is to enjoy in moderation, do some kick ass workouts (which is what keeps me sane), and not wake up on January 1, 2013, unable to button my pants!
Who's with me?!
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