Staying motivated is a mindset and a change in attitude.

It’s easy to tell yourself that you haven’t got the time or that you’re tired. Stop it!

If you are not used to working out and this is all new for you then start slowly.

Look, I get it. We all juggle hundreds of tasks a day and exhaust ourselves, but enough of the pity party – its time to care of yourself!

Welcome to multitasking. Now you can fit a workout into your day (Every little bit you do for yourself counts!) and if you don’t have time, ha!… there are no more excuses!

Staying motivated

That’s a tricky beast. Try following this simple rule: Commit to something new for two weeks (keep track – it really helps). Before you know it, you’ve created a new habit!

Lisa’s story

We as moms (and all people for that matter) are worth the investment in taking care of ourselves. My girlfriend Lisa would always bitch to me how about she hated her thighs, hated her hair – you name it she would bitch about it. I finally said, “Then do something about it!”- in a kind and loving way, of course.

She told me that she had been stuck in this negative rut for years and she knows what to do, but starting was the hard part (isn’t it always??).

It made me think that this went a lot deeper, so we got to talking about the root of where she was coming from. Lisa told me that she felt frustrated with herself for “letting herself go.” She also felt the fear of failure. What if she tries a diet and can’t stick to it? Or what if she loses weight but still isn’t thrilled with herself?

After listening to what she had to say, I suggested a couple of things.

First I told her to start slowly and avoid overwhelming herself with major changes all at once. This allows you to make new habits for yourself that you can stick with (and are life changing) as opposed to a month of hell that makes you want to give up.

Next, take a look at what you eat on a daily basis and try to make healthy food choices.

Then, work on your posture! The list goes on…

Once you make these small changes, you will be motivated to continue on this path to making the best you!

Here are Some Things that Help Keep Me Motivated and Have Really Changed My Life!

• Every morning if I am not going anywhere fun or fabulous, I put on my workout shoes and pants. This helps remind me to be active through out the day.

• I used to have the TV on in the background, but I switched it to music. I love 80s music – bopping around to Duran Duran or Prince makes me happy.

• I make sure to eat healthy foods regularly throughout the day instead of crashing and eating my kid’s bag of carbohydrates.

• I used to hate water, but it’s really good for you, so I got in the habit (it took me 14 days of putting lemon juice in it). Now I sip it all day long!

• I don’t by garbage at the grocery store. If it’s not in the house, I can’t eat it. If you want to have a stash of your favorite cookies, have only one – you have to allow yourself to indulge sometimes:)
  

• I  have at least one naughty thing to eat several times a week, but I make it small. That will help you not focus on what you can’t have and it lets me rebel!
  

• I start one new exercise every two weeks and slowly build up. This way I’m always starting something new and keeping it fresh.
  

That’s it for now.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions on what helps you stay motivated, I’d love to hear!

-C