Keeping Your Motivation
Like everyone else, I sometimes suffer from a lack of motivation.
Sometimes its easier to give up than it is to move forward. This is
especially true when you are trying to drop fat and even more so if you
are trying to get your body fat down to single digits. After months of
dieting and consistent exercise, you may reach a point where you feel
like you are "good enough." However, if "good enough" isn't where you
want to be then you need a way to recycle your motivation and keep
moving. Read on to find out what I do to keep up my motivation.
It's Neither Optional nor is it Short Term
Losing
fat is not an overnight achievement. It can last for 4 to 6 months or
more, depending on how much fat you have and how much you want to lose.
So, viewing it as a short term goal isn't the best way to keep motivated
because doing so will ensure that your motivation will wane as your
progress continues. My approach to staying motivated over several months
of dieting and exercise is to view it as something that is part of my
life. My diet and the associated exercise is part of who I am. It's
neither optional nor is it short term. It is integrated into life like
personal hygiene or sleep. I don't take a day off and I don't stop. If
you're busy then make it part of your schedule. If you have kids then
exercise with them. The point is that you have to make your health, diet
and exercise a committed part of your life if you expect to achieve
great results.
Concentrate on Progress
Progress
can be a huge motivator, even small amounts of progress. Don't worry
about whether or not you are achieving your goals. Concentrate on
progress and make sure that you are moving towards your goals.
Baby steps add up to giant leaps. If you can't see progress in your
physique every day then take pictures once a week. If after a couple of
months you feel your motivation start to die then refer back to a
picture of what you looked like a couple of months ago. That should at
least remind you that you are moving in the right direction. And for
me, sometimes that's all I need to keep moving forward.
Do and Eat What You Like
My
diet consists of food that I like to eat. And my exercise routine
integrates exercises that I like to do. For example, sometimes I like
to run. So, running is part of my exercise regimen. I also like to do
pull-ups and bench press, so they are part of my regimen too. In terms
of food, I love yogurt and I also love pistachios. Both yogurt and
pistachios are part of my regular diet.
You have to do
and eat what you like. Because if you don't like it then you won't keep
it up. When I attended my classes for my Personal Training
Certification back in 1998, they used to say, "Don't take away her
cake." What they meant is that reaching your fitness goals can't mean
choosing between what you love and what you want. You have to find a
way to integrate both into your life if you want to stay in it for the
long haul. That's what I do and it really makes it seem like less of a
sacrifice and more like something that enhances my life.
Break the Monotony
If
you start to feel like you are in a rut, it's probably because you are.
I am as guilty of this as anyone. I do this especially with my diet. I
eat foods and meals that I like but I get in a rut where I eat the same
things day after day. I do it because it is convenient but eventually I
get bored and food becomes a chore more than it is enjoyable. When
this happens, I recognize it and I create multiple daily diets that fit
my calorie and macro-nutrient requirements. Sometimes you have to break
the monotony to recycle your motivation. If you are not happy doing
what you are doing then how long can you maintain it? Answer: not very
long at all. Find joy in what you do and in what you eat. If you can't
do that then it's time for a change.
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