5 Ways to Stay on the Bandwagon

Speaking for myself, I know my goal of living a healthy life and making the right food choices is a difficult one. I find my motivation for exercising, in knowing how good I feel both mentally and physically when I exercise and how these feelings allow me to focus more, sleep better, and feel confident about my body. That being the case, even with these motivators, I still "fall off the wagon" sometimes, when the immediate motivator (maybe I'm depressed and the immediate need for comfort food is more important at that moment) overrides my longer-term motivators.

When this happens and I fall back into my old ways of eating junk food I begin to feel sluggish and I find myself not even wanting to exercise. That's when I stop and revisit these five actions to get back on track and on the motivational bandwagon:

1. Find my 'Why' - I have a talk with myself to remind me of why it is important for me to make the right food choices and exercise on a consistent basis. I remind myself of how good I feel when I make those choices.

2. Take Action - Once I have found my 'why', it is time to do something about it and take action. I start with food choices, I set myself up for success by writing out a meal plan for the week before I go to the grocery, and I only buy what is on my list avoiding temptation to buy junk food. Next, I make sure I have breakfast in the morning, and in the meantime I prepare my lunch and snacks, that way I am not tempted to buy lunch "on the go" which usually ends up being something unhealthy. I make a goal at the beginning of the week for how many times I want to exercise, if I exceed my goal then great!

3. Use Music - I like to load my iPod with upbeat music to motivate while I exercise which I find helps the time go by quicker and keeps me focused on finishing.

4. Surround yourself with people who have similar goals - I find that by surrounding myself with people who share a similar goal I am able to stay on track with my own goals. People who give you positive feedback and encouragement are just as important as a healthy diet. I love teaching my TRX Challenge Class because it gets me fired up when I see what an impact I have on others by coaching them in their workouts. I also like to exercise with a partner, whether going for a walk/run, or attending a class of some sorts, it is always more fun to exercise with someone else!

5. Use Quotes - I love to find inspirational quotes, especially since I am addicted to Pinterest these days, I love "pinning" inspirational/motivational quotes. And whenever I need a pick-me-up, I read these quotes to help motivate me to get back on track.

I will end with a quote I found the recently and have found it to help me visualize my health goals and find my way back on track "Create a life that feels good on the inside. Not one that just looks good on the outside"