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  /  Lifestyle   /  What is the secret to staying motivated for the long term?

What is the secret to staying motivated for the long term?

I started my fitness journey a few years back. To be specific in 2005.

Every person that embarks on the journey of living a fitter and healthier lifestyle has their own “why”. What I mean by “why” is what got them started. Was it because they wanted to lead by example for their family? Or it could be as simple wanting to get fit for a summer vacation. Or it could be a deeper reason a family member became ill due to lifestyle choices that lead them to an unnecessary situation such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Your “why” can be described as your motivation.

My personal journey began when I decided to quit smoking and with the initial incentive was to be come a healthier person with more energy. It then progressed to a weight loss journey. From there I knew that it was going to be more difficult than I thought initially. It’s about having healthier eating habits and exercising but not as simple as just that.

There are days when motivation is lost and your “why” can be forgotten. There are days when even I loathe the gym and/or vegetables but know and remember my “why”.

I have a few simple steps that I follow to help me keep my pace and promote better days than bad.
  1. Progress record: You need to record progress to see that your efforts are being rewarded. It will help you long-term to find out what works for you and what doesn’t. The best way to record your changes is through manual body fat testing as it describes to you what is actually happening. For example if you are losing fat mass and gaining muscle mass. If the above is not an option you can record your weight weekly but keep in mind this can fluctuate with food and water daily. This can help you beat your old records and should help identify plateaus early on.
  2. Posters and Progression photos: Yes this grants you the permission for selfies! Lol…A picture of when you first started along side a current photo. You could also post up a picture of someone you inspire to look like. Every three months or so take some pictures using front, both sides, and back poses. These poses will help you to see the difference. Even wearing the same clothes could help more.
  3. Write down your “WHY”: Write down the reason you started and post it on your bathroom mirror along side some positive quotes or even on your fridge. You could even put a picture of your inspirational someone along side.
  4. Think like a champ!: The most important. If you don’t think you can do it, you probably won’t. Keep in a positive mind set! You need to be positive to have positive results.
  5. When you don’t want to train: When you don’t want to train… Do it anyways! I must admit on the days when I don’t want to train and I drag myself in. I end up having the best workouts to date!. You will be surprised how good you will feel once complete or even after a few minutes of being there. Getting all of those endorphins going.

So there you have it some of my secrets or not so secrets to staying on track and staying motivated. Remember your “why”! Keep it front of mind!

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