Staying motivated with your fitness goals is no mean feat, especially the longer you are at it. While it says a lot that you have taken the first step to better yourself, you are probably wondering how you will do it. Before you panic and give up, keep reading. Here are a few tips that will help you reach your health milestones.
Take Progress Pictures
It can be challenging to see your progress based solely on memory. Taking progress pictures helps you meet your objectives in several ways. First, you can see how far you’ve come from the beginning, even if you aren’t losing pounds. Second, pictures help fuel motivation because they go with you wherever you set off. Because phones are such a massive component of modern-day society, you should never be without the reminder that you have goals to be working towards. If you are not fond of taking photos, you could take body measurements for comparison. You can also use a piece of clothing as a means to measure your success. Maybe you have a pair of jeans you want to squeeze into or a shirt you would like to be able to button. Either way, you need something you can use to pat yourself on the back and say, „good job“.
Start Small
It may make the process seem far too intimidating if you jump straight into a strict diet and intense cardio workouts, especially if you are new to eating healthy and working out. You can start small by cutting out fast food and sodas and going on a walk each day. From there, slowly adjust your eating habits and workout routine as you become more accustomed to what it takes to make your fitness a priority. Rome was not built in a day, and you are not going to get where you want to be in a day, either. While it may seem like ripping the band-aid is the only way to do it, baby steps make for a much more manageable lifestyle. You need to be making changes that you can keep up with for years. Your utmost goal should always be longevity.
Get Your Family on Board
It is difficult to make alterations to your life if those around you are not doing the same. It is vital to have some sort of accountability partner to help keep you on track and remind you why you have decided to get healthy. The best way to stay focused is by finding a means to make the hard times easier on you. Having someone who will encourage you and support you throughout the process is a smart idea because there will be days where you feel defeated. Don’t let the tough moments be the demise of your progress.
The benefits of being healthy and active are undeniable, but that means they are not easily obtained. If so, there would be no fast food joints or discounted gym enrollment fees at the beginning of each year. Still, you rarely hear anyone say they regret making their health a priority. While there are plenty of apps on your phone and workout videos that will help you along the way, you have found the internal motivation to make a change. The good news is, there is no better time than now!
Don’t Be Afraid to Eat
Food is often viewed as the enemy when people decide to join in the fitness and health community. Based on the Thrive experience, seeing changes in your body and mindset is about finding the balance between nutrition, supplements and working out. This is not an easy scale to level out, but it is well worth the effort. It is best to avoid fad diets and stick with a more manageable routine composed of nutritious meals that fuel your body and killer workouts that challenge you. Results do not happen overnight, and if they do, they are not sustainable in the long term.