5 Ways To Motivate Yourself to Workout

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When I first got in to fitness I had an upcoming wedding. That was all the motivation I needed. I absolutely had to look good on my wedding day. On top of that I had no kids, was done with school, only worked 4 days of the week- life was so different.

Then life went on… I gained the marriage 15, I got pregnant, I had a c-section and life just got busy. Motivation was not easy to come by.

Today was just one of those days.

I had a very rough day at work, my son was extra fussy, my husband was extra annoying, I’m behind on grad school work, I stress ate all day, my house is a mess, I almost lost my shit when my neighbor complained about my dogs barking when the mailman rang my doorbell, the dogs bark every time someone rings my doorbell and wake my son up from his one nap & I’ve had bitch face all day.

BUT, I still got up and got it done! Then I ate my leftover jambalaya, prepped the next days breakfast, & finished my school work. No matter how bad life sucks some days, you CAN still do it!

The key is to motivate yourself, because no one else gives a shit and they aren’t going to do it for you.

Here are 5 ways to keep yourself motivated:

1. Think about your why. Why did you decide to start this journey in the first place? Was it to fit in to a wedding dress? Get your pre-pregnancy body back? Look fab on vacation? Overall health? We ALL have a reason and on the days that you just don’t feel like it, remember that reason. Remember that you’re not going to reach your goal if you don’t put in the work.
   1. My personal why is because I want to have another baby, but I don’t want to get pregnant until I have the body I want. It’ll be easier to bounce back and I’ll feel more comfortable gaining weight. Whenever I don’t want to workout, I just remember that if I keep delaying it, I’m also delaying my future pregnancy.
2. Find a picture of your goal/dream body and post it in your lazy place. You know, that place you go when you decide to skip your workout. Whether you lay in bed, sit in front of the computer, play on your phone or watch TV… there’s a place you gravitate towards. Well, what if the next time you go play on your computer, you see your dream body staring you in the face on your desktop? Or you go watch TV and your dream body is framed right next to it? I bet you’ll feel a bit guilty about skipping that workout.
3. If you’re not happy with your body or some part of it, take a before picture and keep looking at it. Keep it in your phone and look at it every time you walk towards that lazy place. And don’t take a flattering before picture where you’re holding your breath and posing just right, this is just for you to track your progress and remind yourself to get up- so let it all hang!
   1. This is my old before picture, no shame! Excuse the mess, I had a newborn.
4. Is there a time that you always go back to and remember what your body looked like back then, and then wish you could have that body back? You can! It was YOU after all. Yes, I know we get older and our body’s change- but you CAN have your body back if you work hard for it.
   1. I always think of the time we got married and went on our honeymoon. No, I didn’t have 6 pack abs- but I was happy and I felt good.
5. Just fucking do it. Seriously. If you can’t find a reason to do it- who cares? Just get off your ass and do it. Six months from now you will wish you would have started today. You don’t want to look back and thing “dang, if I stuck to it when I started a year ago I’d look like a fitness model by now.”

Don’t get me wrong, I know there are days that it’s just not possible or you need a break- but on the days that it IS totally possible and you don’t NEED a break, you just don’t feel like it, those are the days you need to push yourself and find your motivation.

What motivates you??