During strategy sessions, one of the most common things I hear from clients is "I just can't find the time or motivation to workout!" I get it. It's definitely not what I want to do when I have some time to do something for myself, either. Don't get me wrong, once I'm settled into a healthy routine, a sesh at the gym can feel really great and I will often choose that over some other self-care, but when I am just diving in or getting back on track, it's hard for me, too.
One of the things I feel most passionate about is stopping the all-or-nothing approach we have towards our health and fitness.
We're either working out or we are driving down the block instead of walking. We're eating healthy 100% of the time or we are loading up on fast food and donuts. It doesn't have to be like that!
There are a lot of ways to get yourself to start getting active again without a huge shift in your lifestyle. I work with many different types of people and we can always find a solution that fits.
1. Get mental:
Try this:
Every time you find yourself thinking "what choice will help me lose weight/not get fatter?"
Think instead, "what is the choice I could make right now that will make me FEEL good and be a healthy choice for my body?"
That's not to say that your weight loss goals are not important or you need to stop caring about how you look! BUT, what if you re-structured your thoughts about your choices to focus on your health vs. what will help you lose weight?
A walk, short strength workouts, parking far away from the grocery store, taking the stairs... None of those will burn a ton of calories. But they will ABSOLUTELY up your physical (and mental) health.
And staying consistent is the true KEY to weight loss success. So all those little choices that "don't burn the calories" but do keep you healthy? They all add up and you will see the results you've been longing for without the deprivation and frustration you may have been feeling before!
Want to learn more about the mental shift? Read my blog post here!
2. Get plan-y:
On Sunday night sit down with your calendar and schedule your workouts. Whether it's classes, getting to the gym or a workout you can do at home, find the spaces in your schedule you can and want to get it in and put it on your calendar (you can also do this day by day rather than for the whole week).
Pre-planning will allow you to set a goal and make sure you accomplish it.
Once it's in your calendar, you will organize your life and plans around it.
And all those excuses you come up with to skip it in the moment have already been planned through.
Trust your past self who set the goal and make your future self a priority!
3. Get accountable:
You know what you want to get done. Making it happen is the tough part, ammiright?!
As we discussed above, there are so many excuses you can come up with to skip a workout - "It won't burn enough calories for today's indulgences so I'll skip it," "I will have to find a place to shower so I'll skip it," "I can't find enough time and childcare to get in the big workout I'd like so I'll skip it," "I'm a grown up and I can do what I want and my partner is still totally into me so I don't need to stick to my weight loss goal." You know what I'm talking about!
So grab a white board and put it in your kitchen.
Your goal is HEALTH and if you want to lose weight, that is valid and you can do it and still be healthy and feel great! List your goals on the white board for the week - daily and weekly. Then chart out the week and check off what you did each day! You and your family/friends can see your progress and you can hold yourself accountable to the goals you set for yourself.
Need some extra help with accountability? I have just the thing!
Hit me up if you have any questions and let me know how you feel after a week of "healthy" choices vs. "I want to lose weight" choices! You've got this!
Be S.Well,
Shannon
ps. Here's a quick workout that I do first thing in the morning - easy to motivate to do and get's you glowing for the day ahead! Put it in wherever you want during the day - it's healthy and simple and you'll feel great for having done it!
