....not a problem. We have you covered.
The situation: it's March. The charm of the holiday season has faded away and bright spring days are not yet here. We feel you. But summer is not far off – and your health is important all year round! Need a little boost of encouragement? We're here to help. Check out our tips below to refocus, re-motivate, and stay on track to accomplish your health and weight goals. Summer is only 3 months away!
Journal. A great way to reflect on what motivated you to lose weight in the first place is to put pen to paper. Dig deep to find the specific moment in your life that prompted you to get serious about your health. Now envision yourself at your dream weight. What does that look like for you? How might that change your confidence in your day-to-day life? How might that seep into other areas of your life – your career, family life, fitness goals, and overall well-being? Take 10 minutes out of your day to write about this and describe your future self in detail. You’ll be shocked at the results.
Set yourself up for success. We cannot stress this one enough. If you are tired, cold and hungry at the end of the day – and do not have any easy, appetizing options for food – you are going to be putting your will power to the test. Let’s avoid this if possible please! Have a stash of healthy snacks on hand (baby tomatoes, raw carrots with a fun dip, a chocolate shake, protein pretzels) so you can snack on something that will keep your blood sugars even while you prepare a healthy dinner.
Spring cleaning “reset”. Pick a free afternoon and commit to having a food clean out. Go through the pantries and refrigerator and throw out/donate anything that is not supporting your weight loss goals. Wipe down, vacuum, and restock your cabinets with weight loss-friendly foods. Need new ideas? Talk to your provider at your next appointment. We are all big foodies here and would love to help!
Add it to your calendar. Motivation can often be triggered by an event. This time of year can be a “dry” time for our calendars, so pick an event (weekend trip, concert, girls night out, etc.) and add it to your calendar. Set a realistic and attainable weight loss goal for that specific date and watch how the motivation creeps back in. If you hit that goal, promise yourself a new outfit for whatever event you have planned. You deserve it.
Reminders. It sounds a smidge corny but it works … write down little motivational reminders on sticky notes and post them around the house. It can be as simple as “you are worth it” or “drink 16oz of water by 1pm!”, whatever helps you to stay on track and remember why you are doing this. Gentle nudges throughout the day can add up to a big change.
Start a fitness challenge. Facebook, Pinterest, or simply a google search, will bring you to a plethora of workout challenges (from 1 week to months-long in duration). Following preset workouts will save you time planning exercises to do at the gym and keep you on a consistent regimen as you work through the challenge. Get sweating!
Remember, it doesn't take being perfect 100% of the time to get to where you want to be. Give yourself grace, take a deep breath, and keep pushing forward. You got this!
