7 Tips for Staying Motivated When You Aren’t Seeing Results
Hit a wall with your fitness regime?
Frustrated because you aren’t seeing results?
It’s been months since the beginning of your New Year’s resolution to hit the gym and get healthy, but you aren’t seeing any results. Should you throw in the towel? Not at all! Here are some tips to motivate you to get back on track and help you stick to your goal of getting healthy.
- Set small goals for yourself.
Instead of making it a goal to work out seven times a week, stop and ask yourself if your goal is realistic or not. It goes without saying that it’s not practical to go from couch potato to gym-class hero; what is practical is setting small, short-term goals for yourself that will eventually span out in the long-term. Instead of telling yourself to run five miles every day, start by jogging two to three times a week. Begin with less miles and add more to your routine once you build up more endurance. Rather than get rid of carbs altogether, limit the number of times you eat them to one meal a day. Little things go a long way!
- Be consistent.
Once you have set small goals for yourself, stick with it. By nature, we are busy people and may not always have the time to strictly adhere to your fitness regime. Make it a plan to schedule work outs and eating habits around free time, even if short. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a couple of days of your diet-workout plan; just make an effort to make up for it the following day. In the end, it’s all about consistency.
- Start a journal
Write down your meals, workout activities, weight loss, and any other aspects of your lifestyle changes that will help you reach your goal of being healthy. Jot down the information as soon as you complete it, so that you won’t forget by the end of the day. You will find that it isn’t too much work, and the progress is rewarding. Just flip back to last month’s entry, and you might find that you actually have improved when you originally thought you hadn’t.
- Get support from friends and family.
Your friends and family are great resources to help you stay focused as you work towards your ultimate goal. Think of them as your cheerleaders, positively supporting you each step of the way. Make it a collective effort to work out and eat healthy together. Not only will it do wonders for your body, but it will do wonders for theirs too.
- Think ahead.
Not only do you want to think ahead and plan for next week’s regime, but you also want to think ahead towards the next few months. Ask yourself if there will be any obstacles (e.g. vacation, a big work party) that might set you back, and allow yourself some time to plan for it, such as finding alternative work-outs to do when you’re away from home. Anticipate these events, and you will be able to prepare for them better.
- Strive for health, not beauty.
We all know that you want to look stunning for bikini season. But working out and eating healthy for only a short period of time will not benefit your body in the long-run, especially after summer ends. Remember: while beauty is temporary (and does not necessarily represent whether or not someone’s actually healthy), health is a long-term commitment and an investment that acquires endless rewards.
- Make it long-term.
Goals don’t end once you hit your intended weight or personal record; instead, they are a lifestyle change to your health. Continue doing what you do and love, and soon enough, you will find that it becomes a simple habit!
Don’t give up! You’ve got this!
