So here's a story I rarely tell because I'm such a weirdo but in high school I was on the swim team. I was pretty good at it and enjoyed it a lot too. When it came to the meets and competitions, I would dive into the water and immediately start thinking about there being a shark chasing after me. Yeah, that's right. As I was swimming, I'd picture a shark chasing behind me to get my butt moving even faster! I have to say, as weird as that sounds, it worked! It was just something in my head that motivated me to move and swim as fast as I could! I can't believe I'm telling the world my weirdo story but since I'm talking about motivation, I felt obligated to share ;)
Now, even though I have gotten to the point in my life where working out is just apart of my daily routine (and I actually feel weird and thrown off if I miss a workout) we all need motivation from time to time.
I get a ton of emails and comments of people wishing they had my motivation or asking where do I get my motivation from, well, here's your answer: I'm tired of being fat. Yep. That's it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, when it comes to losing weight, you have to want to do it first of all and you have to do it for yourself. My motivation comes from the fact that I honestly just want to lose this weight and I know the only good way of doing so is eating right and working out! I started losing weight just because I didn't want to look like a cookie monster in my wedding photos but soon after the wedding I just couldn't just stop working out or go right back to eating garbage food. I didn't want the hard work I had done to lose the weight before our wedding to just come back and all my hard work be done in vein so I stayed motivated and focused.
One thing I tell every person who asks for advice to do is take pictures of your progress. I take pictures of my progress and if I'm in a slump, I look back and realize just how far I've come. It help motivates me to keep me going and makes me want to get out there and go for a run or head to a body pump class!
I reward myself- if I lose 5 pounds I'll treat myself to a manicure or if I hit a goal weight, I might treat myself to a massage. I don't workout for those rewards but they're a nice little boost along the way to keep on going! I also must say that I don't weight myself very often. Maybe once every 2 weeks or once a month. There are so many things that can factor into our weight from a day to day point that I think it adds too much stress to focus on the number on the scale every single day or week.
Another thing to help increase your motivation is find a workout buddy who is as committed to getting healthy as you are! I have an awesome workout buddy who is now trying to lose weight for her own wedding next month and it helps to have a friend boost you and be there for you!
And if all else fails just go out for a run and imagine Ryan Gosling is waiting for you at the finish line. With a puppy. That should do the trick ;)
For tips on how I've lost the weight you can read though my blogposts! You can also follow me on Instagram at:
amanda_cervantez (instagram.com/amanda_cervantez) I am ALWAYS posting healthy meals I make and workouts! Along with photos of my english bulldog :)
