Seven Strategies to Keep You Motivated to WorkOut

A few weeks ago I asked the question - "What keeps you motivated to work out and eat right?" Thank you Teri and TRB for sharing your tips with me in my earlier blog post. Well, I've been thinking about that question too and have put together the following list. If you have a hard time keeping motivated, try implementing some of these tips:

1. Entertain Yourself. Find an interesting show on t.v. and commit to working out while you watch it. Sometimes, working out can be a bit boring. So, when I do weights, I watch a show on t.v. to make it more fun.  
2. Keep Your Gym Bag in the Car. If you've got a membership at a gym, make sure that you keep your gym bag packed and ready to go. If you plan to workout after work, aim to head to the gym directly rather then going home first. Once you arrive at home it can be very tempting to stay and kick your feet up. So, don't go home first! Go straight to the gym and get your exercise in before heading home!
3. Join a Class. At first it may be difficult to fit a class into your schedule, but once things settle down and the class becomes part of your routine, getting motivated to go will be easier and easier. The more you go, the more likely you'll make friends and the more fun you'll have. You'll also feel accountable for attending if you have friends in the class who look forward to meeting up with you. If your workout is tied to a social activity, it not only makes it more fun, but will also motivate you to get up and go on those days when you are super exhausted.
4. Write a Journal. Writing this blog helps me keep my eye on the ball. When I write my exercise and food plans down, I feel accountable to it. 
5. Measure Yourself. If your goal is to lose weight, then weigh yourself everyday. If your aim is to build muscle, measure your self. Make sure you know what your starting point is and witness your daily or weekly progression towards your goal. It feels great to see numeric proof of your hard work. 
6. Talk About It. Share your workout plans with your friends. If your friends know about your workout goals they may help keep you motivated by asking your how its going. The more poeple you have on your side, the better. 
7. Partner-Up. Finding a partner to workout with can help you get through those days that you feel really unmotivated. If you don't know someone who is willing to actually workout with you, try finding someone who will call you or follow up with you about your workout plan. 

My Health Journal

Every day I take one tablet of echinacea and one tablet of vitamin C. For breakfast I had two slices of toast with tomatoes, a glass of orange juice and a glass of coffee. For lunch I had a green salad and a tomato, basil and cheese sandwich. And for supper I had a chicken casadias. My weight this morning was 159.1 lbs.