Being stuck inside or having very limited choices when going out, is taking a toll on everyone. Waking up in the morning filled with energy and the desire to exercise has gone out the window for many of us that are binge watching “Emily in Paris” and staying up later. (Totally not talking about myself who stayed up until 1am the other night to get the last few episodes in.)
Everyone deserves a wellness lifestyle they can start today. There are ways to get your motivation back – you just need to start.
1. Rediscover Your Goals
What are your goals? A lot of people viewed the first few weeks as a much-needed break from life. But you’re still here, and every day that passes that you procrastinate is a day you could have spent trying to reach your goals.
Sit down today and rediscover your motivation using the SMART method:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
Gained a little weight? Outline your goals to lose it. Something as simple as “I want to lose 5 pounds in four weeks” is attainable. The key to motivation is realistic goals. Don't plan to lose 30 pounds in the next month because on day three when you’re down a pound, you’ll abandon all hope of reaching your goals.
2. Set Small Goals for Each Day
Everyone has long-term goals that they want to achieve. But the journey to reaching those goals is one that most people aren’t willing to make when the goal is so far away. If your diet is comprised of convenience and fast food, you can cut everything that you love to eat out of your daily diet, but that’s going to be a massive lifestyle shock and honestly, not a fun way to live.
For a lot of us who are stuck inside, going to grab a quick pumpkin spice latte is our only solace and ability to get out of the house.
I get it. Instead, set a small goal to cut back on one “treat” throughout the week. If your goal is to add muscle and lose weight, know that drinking that Starbucks “PSL” is going to run you over 50g of sugar per visit. If you’re having 3 “PSLs” a week, that’s 150g of extra sugar a week and nearly 8,000g of added sugar a year (or, 32,000 calories which is equivalent to an extra 12.8 pounds/year). That’s a no for me dawg.
Instead, try a coffee with a splash of pumpkin, some stevia and almond milk. You can still treat yourself, but let’s do it in moderation so you’re not regretting your PSLs come bikini season!
Every day set goals you can achieve no matter how small they may seem right now. The small changes you make today will lead to a positive lifestyle change that can have a major impact on your life.
Decide to be better today. Eat better. Make better choices. Eventually, we will be back to living life like we used to. I can’t speak for you, but for me, I want to be able to come out of “quarantine” feeling my best, looking my best and kicking major ass every day.
I’d be happy to chat with you 1:1 if you’d like some help setting some achievable goals for the rest of 2020. Just drop me a line here and we can work on something together!
3. Remember Why Staying Active is Good for You
Balanced nutrition and personal training help you lead a more balanced life. A survey from the Pennington Biomedical Center found that after the initial phase of COVID-19 lockdowns, people started eating healthier (great job, everyone), but we also started:
Snacking more
Exercising less
Going to bed later
And if you’ve noticed that your anxiety is through the roof, it’s because anxiety has doubled. Staying active is so important for your health because:
30 minutes of exercise a day can help improve anxiety and depression significantly
You'll lose the extra pounds you’ve added from snacking and maintain a healthier weight
Sleep quality may be improved
Staying active requires consistent decisions to be healthier. Eat an extra helping of veggies, go for a walk in the park – get back to the old you.
If you’re struggling to get your motivation back, don’t beat yourself up over it. Start nurturing your body and taking small, incremental steps that will help the “you of tomorrow” feel better, look better and kick that anxiety to the curb. You deserve the feeling of feeling well.