Finding Motivation // Reward Yourself

I've already written a post about finding the perfect personal motivation for yourself, but this past month I've re-discovered how important it is! So here's what I'm doing to motivate myself…


During the first few weeks of March when I was home for Spring Break, my mom told me that we're going on a cruise with lots of family in June! It's a quick trip to Mexico, but any fun trip like that means two things: lots of food and even more pictures.

So it's time for me to get my butt (and everything else) in shape!

My motivation is the cruise, so what's my reward?

I've been searching and saving for the perfect swim suit for this cruise! So when I reach my goal and feel my best, I can get that swim suit and wear it with pride!

Now I know most of yo know that I do not support the use of scales. I'll admit that I weigh myself maybe twice a year, but I like to go off of how I feel more than set numbers. When you feel great, you walk with confidence.
That being said, I am measuring myself. I have my thigh, bicep, and hip measurements (in inch) just to keep track. I don't have any goal numbers, but I do like this way of keeping track of my weight loss and muscle gain. My advice for measuring would be to not have set goal measurements. Unless you've talked with a professional trainer or someone with a degree, you may end up hurting yourself more than helping.

At the end of the day, please remember that you are wonderful the way you are. You do not need to look a certain way or be a certain weight. I just know that I do not feel my best now because I've slacked on my healthy eating and workouts. So go off of how you feel and smile, my friends!

Have a great day!

Motivation

I've seen so many people posting all over the internet: How does one stay motivated with working out?

I'm going to admit, it's hard.
Even now, when I'm going to the gym 4-6 days per week, I still have moments when I ask myself, "Do I really need to do this today?"

As in everything, everyone is different.
We like different food, different workouts, and we stay motivated differently.
Here are the top three motivators I have seen:

1. Peer Motivation
This is a big one. It's pretty broad as feel. Peer motivation can mean you discuss your goals with your friends and family so that they can keep tabs on you, or it can mean that you have a consistent "gym buddy." And your gym buddy doesn't always have to be someone who is at the gym with you, but maybe someone who texts you in the morning saying "Hey! I'm on my way to my gym! Abs and arms today!" so that you both have a game plan and similar goals.
Social media can play a huge role in this motivator as well. I know quite a few women who post their pictures online (Facebook, Tumblr, etc) every month or so to show updates. They have tons of friends, family, and strangers who know whats going on, so they can't let them down as well!

2. Reward Motivation
This is what my mom like to call "carrot motivation." The idea behind this is that you reward yourself something when you a goal. In example, you lost 10 pounds this month? Here's a new pair of Nike pants. You went over your mile running goal this week? Have a night out with your girls.
The goals and rewards can be made in a number of ways. You can think of them the week of, have them planned and written out in a log, or you can write them down on scraps of paper, place them in a jar, and randomly choose when the time comes. Have fun with it!

3. Personal Progress
This is my motivator!! When I first saw my biceps becoming more defined, I became more excited to go to the gym every morning and lift a little heavier. And now that I'm noticing ab definition (slowly…), I do ab exercises every day! Not only is my body changing, but my mind is too. As we know, exercise gives us endorphins. Those endorphins make us happier and give us energy. Therefore, the more we work out, the more energy we will have to workout again (hopefully not twice in the same day. If you're one of those people, go you).

Here's what Chris Pratt (Parks and Rec, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc) had to say about his gym motivation:

“I like clothes now. I have more energy. I sleep better. My sex drive is up. Blood’s flowing. I’m less susceptible to impulse. I’m in a different mode. When I was way out of shape, the idea of using whitening strips on my teeth seemed terrible. I have to do that every day? I’ll never do it. What you want is instant results when you’re out of shape. You want your teeth whitened in 45 minutes with the use of lasers. But when you’re in shape, you know it’s the result of doing a little bit every day. Moments aren’t just moments. A moment might be a week or a month. So instead of Boy, I’d love to eat this hamburger right now, I’m considering a little further into the future. I’m thinking, I eat that hamburger and that’s 1,200 calories, and I’m gonna work out tomorrow and lose 800 calories. I may as well eat a salad here, still do that workout, and then I’m actually making progress.” — Chris Pratt

What motivates you to go to the gym and eat healthier?
Let me know!