At the beginning of January, millions of Americans set New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight and to lead a more healthy lifestyle. Now that we are in March, most people have abandoned these resolutions. If you need motivation to keep moving, just keep reading...
1. Try to work out with a buddy! If you work out with a friend, you’re more likely to be motivated if you have a friend to talk to, struggle with, and celebrate with when the work out if finally over. You can create friendly competitions between your friends and family on staying fit! You can set up a walking/steps competition via Fitbit, take a cycling class together, or see who can reach their target calorie fat burn count on a designated cardio machine. The point is just to just get active and get your heart rate moving. The more company, the merrier!
2. Do not get on the scale, I repeat, do NOT get on the scale! If you obsess over the number on the scale, it will consume you. The number on the scale does not define you. Your height and muscle mass can affect your weight and you shouldn’t compare that number to others who do not have the same muscular build as you. If you must weigh yourself, make it very infrequent. Try once a week or every two weeks to track your progress.
3. Make your own healthy meals instead of going out to eat so often. On the weekends, nobody feels like cooking. But, instead of going to your favorite pizza restaurant with your friends, make your own fat free pizza at home! There are tons of low fat and low sodium recipes available on Pinterest, Food Network, and TLC that are obtainable for the average person. You should make cooking a time to bond with others instead of going out to eat all the time. You are more likely to eat things that are WAY off your diet when you go out and see all the delicious, fatty foods that are at your fingertips.
4. Treat yourself! Eating healthy is great, but we all have those days where it is just not going to happen. It’s okay! One bad eating day does not mean that you should quit. If on Valentine’s Day you had three too many little chocolates, who cares? You should allow yourself one to two cheat days a week where you indulge in whatever you like. You’ve been eating salads all week, so why not eat a burger with your best friend on Saturday? It’s all about balance. YOLO!!!
5. Eat frequently. People commonly think that living a healthy lifestyle means starving yourself, and it is actually the complete opposite. You should eat healthy snacks throughout the day to keep you going such as nuts, protein bars, fruits, raw vegetables, etc. If you keep yourself from starving during the day, you are less likely to pig out when you get home.
6. Be patient! Losing weight, toning your body, or eating more healthy takes time. You are not going to wake up one day and magically look like a different person than you did the day before. Research shows that it can take up to eight weeks for others to see a difference in you, but only four weeks for you to notice. You can do it!
7. Drink water. We all know how important water is… but do we drink enough of it? If you really want to stay motivated, there’s nothing like staying nice and hydrated all the time. You should drink water like the apocalypse is about to happen. Water can help to clear up skin, reduce hunger, and flush out toxins. The goal is to drink 8 or more glasses a day.
Picture Credits: CrossFit Invoke