I got this text the other day:
How many people are saying, “amen” right now? See, my friend has been crushing her goals and she’s now hit the inevitable point in everyone’s diet/exercise routine where you just fall off the wagon.
Believe me, it happens to EVERYONE. And, if you don’t find a way to reign it back in and crawl back up on that fitness wagon, you can let all the results you worked so hard for go right down the drain.
You know, healthy eating/exercise is so finicky. Sometimes it’s so easy to eat right, hit the gym and stay motivated. You’re just in the healthy “zone.” And other times, it’s like every fiber in your body wants to eat pizza, sleep in and skip the gym. #slothlife
I had some recent eye surgery (yuck) and, per doctor’s orders, haven’t been able to workout for three weeks. Yes, you read that correctly – I have not worked out for THREE WEEKS!! So, instead of tightening my diet up to make up for it, I did the other logical thing: I’ve eaten every piece of comfort food in the house. (I heard that Nutella is good for surgery recovery, right??)
So, now that I’ve been given the okay to slowly start exercising again and am over the “poor pitiful me” recovery – it’s time for me to, well, get back on the wagon. And, I thought I’d share with you guys a few suggestions on how you can do it, too:
Sign up for a Race: I’m a program follower. Seriously, I love them. And, one of the best ways for me to get my booty going again is to sign up for a race. Pick any race, a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, it doesn’t matter. The fact is that you pick a race. Then, print out a race plan (I always use www.halhigdon.com to find a race training program) and tape it to the refrigerator. That way, every day, I have the number of miles I’m supposed to run right in front of me when I reach for my morning breakfast. The program is set, and it gives me an end date of the program (race day.) Now, a key thing here – don’t just say you’re going to run a race, actually send in the check and your registration so you can’t back out. This is a stellar way to get you back on track with your workouts.
Set a Goal: I’m a huge goal setter. I love setting a definite goal and putting a reward out there when I reach it. It’s fun for me and an easy way for me to work toward something. So, set a goal. It can be anything: lose 5 pounds this month, keep your calories under your allotted weekly goal for a month, cut out soda from your diet for three weeks, complete a half marathon, go to the gym every day in July – seriously, it can be ANYTHING. Then give yourself a reward if you do it. I like to pick out something I’ve been eyeing but don’t really need (hello, blue Lululemon pants) and then go buy them when I reach my reward. That’s called a win/win. (And, if I stick to my goal, my booty looks better in those fancy pants.)
Mix it Up: Ok, sometimes the thought of going to the gym and getting on the treadmill AGAIN is just too much. The monotony is unbearable. You should try mixing it up. Try a new group class. Sign up for a POUND class, try Jazzercize, take up running, go hiking, try hot yoga – something that is different from what you normally do. It’ll make working out fun again and reignite that “healthy you” spark.
Tell Your Friends: If I want to make sure I stick with something – I tell my friends what I’m doing. Seriously, I text/call every one of them and say, “I’m going to lean up in July” or “I’m going to start watching my calories closely.” Then, I know I have to stick with it as I’m made it public. If they see me eating cupcakes, they’re going to call me out on it (as they should.) Plus, my friends are my accountability partners. So, they’ll help keep me on track with my eating/exercising. They’ll text to see if I want to join them for a jog. Or, I can call them to tell me to “step away from the cookie dough.”
Get Your Eating in Check: Ok, if you’ve read my blogs at all, you know I’m a huge proponent of counting calories. So, download Loseit (or any other calorie counting app) and start logging your calories. It’ll make you see what you’re actually eating (I bet you’ll be surprised.)
Tell Your Husband What You Ate: Ok, I wanted to throw this one in there for you guys, because I did it a few years ago and it worked wonders. I told my husband (hey, Stephen) that I wanted to lose weight. No lip service but REALLY lose weight. So, every night before bed, I told him everything I ate for the day. Now, want to make sure you tighten up your diet? Try telling your husband you ate a pack of M&Ms that afternoon when you “really” want to lose weight. It actually helped me be accountable for what I was eating in the day.
Guys, it’s impossible to stay motivated every single day. Motivation comes and goes. And no matter how much you may be crushing your diet/exercise right now, the day is going to come when you’re going fall off that wagon and dream about eating the wagon. But, the key is knowing what helps you to get refocused, remotivated and ready to climb back up on the wagon.
BTW – did anyone ever decide if it’s “on the wagon” or “off the wagon”….
Get Back on the Wagon!
Cynthiana Strong 