#gettingbackontrack

*Sigh* I know about two posts ago I said I was getting back on the wagon and getting shit done but...that did not happen due to 1. The lack of motivation 2. Just really being happy 3. It’s bulking season (Holiday season) and 4. I didn’t think my body would mind taking some time off I was wrong

THIS TIME IT’S REALLY GOING DOWN. I have recently discovered that I have gained 7-8 pounds and an inch around my tummy. That hit me like a rock and not because I wasn’t expecting to gain some weight but because I did not think I would gain that much in about 2 months. I’m to the point my pants are too tight to be comfortable and I haven’t been there in about two years. I am not happy with where I am and this is the kick in the butt I needed to find my motivation. 

Motivation should always be something that moves you to work towards your goals even when you don’t want to. It’s a mantra, a saying, a group of goals that drive you to get work done. It’s people in your life, YouTubers/Instagramers that you take inspiration from, it’s the version of your best self. I’ve been thinking about my motivations this past weekend and I think I’ve gotten a good list going:

Youtubers/Influencers:

Kristen Calfee https://www.youtube.com/user/thismightbekristen

Mackenzie Marie https://www.youtube.com/user/Beauty4Babes

Gabbie Hanna https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBpv6ahDMg7kEClQuMpzzw

Remi Ashten https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKN9PT9mTOnUHqUnEE0gfyw

Kristin Mabry https://www.instagram.com/kristinmabry/

Katherine Donna https://www.instagram.com/katherinedonna/

Krystal aka bloodsweatfitness https://www.instagram.com/bloodsweatfiness/

Amanda on YouTube&Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amandaasette/

Shannon https://www.instagram.com/shan_shrinks/

Shannon Dempsey https://www.instagram.com/shannonsquats/

Rachael https://www.instagram.com/hellohipthrusts/

Krissy https://www.instagram.com/dauntlesskris/

Holli Hemmings https://www.instagram.com/hollisticallyfit/

Even though these individuals do not know me, their content motivates, inspires, and entertains me to get my butt in gear and get work done! Literally not getting paid by any of them to shout them out, I just really support and love each person on this list. 

Personal Things:

My future self

My current pants

My family

My health and strength

My mental well being

Just life itself

These are the big motivators. This is the list that makes me get to the gym 5 out of 7 days a week, if not more, and give it my all even when I don’t want to. The above six bullet points are what drive me to get to where I want to be. Everything else that I use for motivation, the people I listed before, they’re for an added boost but ultimately it’s up to myself to motivate me. That sounds too preachy, I know, but it really comes down to what you’re willing to let yourself get away with. Are you willing to let yourself workout for an hour a day or sit on the couch and do nothing? If you workout, are you down to eat healthy and correctly to assist that hard work you just did or are you going to smash an entire pizza? And really, it’s a balance game. You have to find the correct amount of doing the right thing and giving into your cravings when you need to. 

I like to follow the 90/10 split for my personal goals. I’ve found that if I let myself do anymore than 10% of slacking, I throw it all down the drain and go 100% the wrong way. This 10% can be a cheat meal once a week, a treat after dinner one day, or an unhealthy snack. The bottom-line is, don’t go overboard because if you’re anything like me, you will spiral out of control. I’m an “All or Nothing” type of girl so I can definitely get behind 90%. Once you’ve done it for about two months, it gets easier and you actually start to look forward to working out, eating your meals, and getting enough sleep.

Mantras:

I’ve also started writing down a mantra of sorts or a goal line every morning. It’s basically three sentences in the present tense that describe where I want to be or get to. This is a way you shouldn’t write one:

“I am at 140lbs and feel skinny!!!! I am always happy and my life is perfect!! I’m 100% balanced all the time and feel great!”

The reasoning behind not wording your mantra or future goals like I’ve shown is because it’s better to not put pressure on yourself to be exactly within a certain number, meet a words specific definition, or cure a disorder. Give yourself room for error because not one person is perfect and will feel their best all the time. This would be a better example of how to figure out a Mantra:

“I am at my physical goals; I feel healthy and strong. I am actually living every day. I feel happy and I am healthy mentally and emotionally.”

I’ve been writing down my Mantra for about a week now and it’s already helped. I’m not going to claim that it completely changed my life but it did add some more want and drive to get stuff done. I would definitely try this out and see for yourself how it makes you feel thinking about where you could be if you stayed on track.

Sleep:

 Going to bed earlier can also work as a motivation to wake up early and kick some major workout butt! Or start off your early morning by getting some chores done around the house, enjoying breakfast or coffee, or getting a jumpstart on a new project.

The amount of sleep you get isn’t something most people think can affect your weightloss/health goals but it is. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t work properly which just throws everything off. I can go more in depth with science that supports this at a later date but just know, if your body isn’t rested enough it’s not recovering from your workouts properly and it’s not using the food fuel you’re giving it right. I would recommend to get 7-8 hours a night as much as possible. 

If you’re getting less than this now, start by getting ready for bed about an hour earlier and actually get into bed 30 minutes earlier than usual. Do this for a week and after that, keep adding 30 minutes until you reach your sleep goals. If you don’t get the correct amount of rest, it’s going to mess up all of the rest of your hard HARD work you’ve put in.

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