Weekly Reflections: Motivation Check-Up

So it’s been a few weeks since you started your workout routine and you are wondering if you are still on the right track or why the pounds and inches are not disappearing faster. Maybe you have just started incorporating some fitness essentials to your life and wonder if you are doing it right. Maybe you’ve just hit that workout/healthy eating block and need some positive reinforcements. Here are 8 ideas that came about during conversations with my clients during the week.

1/ Stop living in the past: throw away that pair of jeans you have kept since high school in the hope to fit into them again, or that picture of you and your mate on vacation on a sunny beach 5 years ago. I am not saying that you will never be able to look that way again, but in a way I am. Your body and metabolism are different than it was when you were 18. Your nutritional and exercise needs are different now that you are an adult or a mother/father. We always idealize those days way back when we used to fit in those jeans, but if we had a time machine and transport ourselves to those times we would see that we were not happier then than we are now, aiming then for the next 5 pounds or the next tight pair of jeans. Make new memories today, with the new and improved you. Health is not about looks, it’s how fit you are inside your own body….and your old jeans don’t care!

2/ Prepare yourself for a fit day: make it a daily appointment We would not dream to cancel with Jackson “the” hairdresser en vogue to make ourselves look good, or the dentist to get a perfect smile. Do not cancel on yourself. Your body and your health are not gifts but a responsibility.

3/ Start slow: I love working with new clients who are super motivated about their new commitment. I am also a bit worried because I know that if I do not slow them down a little, I’ll ever see them 2 months from now. They will have exhausted their enthusiasm and energy level. It takes energy to build up energy. It also takes daily commitments to doing something physical. Build your stamina and resistance slowly. I am at it everyday so it is part of my routine, my job but I did not start running a 5k before I knew how to manage my endurance level. Discuss with your trainer ways that you can start off with a program that is challenging for you at the time and hot to build up from there.

4/ Get the family involved. During a school week, I realize it’s not always easy to find the time for extra activities, but the weekends are the perfect opportunities to schedule a picnic in the park, a game of hide and seek, a bike ride on a favorite trail, etc… If the kids see you active and healthy they will integrate these images in their minds and remember them when they are adults themselves. Call mom or sister for a walk, window shopping at the mall or antiquing. Health is also about establishing mind and body connections. Working out is great, but “feeling” good also does a body good.


5/ Surround yourself with positive influences: People who are motivated, inspired and determined are people who live a better quality of life and people I try to surround myself with. However, I am sure that you have heard your pushy co-worker, best friend or mate say at some point: “oh, c’mon, 3 fries are not going to break your diet”, “you can skip the gym today, we never do anything together anymore?”
They are just trying to make you fell bad because you are doing something good for you and they are not, and they probably should. I wish I knew the reasons why people say or do things like that, but it is human. Tell them, you have one life and might as well be fit to live it well and not popping pills like they are candies while not being able to move and visit them.

6/ Put the pain or/and lack of motivation in perspective: when things get tough, remember the trillion loads of laundry you do each months, the countless hours spend carpooling for their sports activities. Once you start walking on the treadmill or lifting those dumbbells, you forget how tough and long the road can be and think about the rewards once you reach your destination.

7/ Just “Do It”: go tot the park, take a walk. Nobody makes a paycheck without working, nobody makes a cake without baking….nobody gets healthy without doing the work. 98% of life is showing up.

8/ Understand your energy cycles: this is especially true for women. Follow your menstrual cycle closely. Although it is true that you will experience less cramps as you get fitter, you will be more tried around that time of the month, so it is ok to take it down one notch. Women are different and some will experience a rush of energy prior to that time, so it is ok to kick it up a bit. Remember to listen to your body’s clues. Do not exercise if you are sick or extremely tired as you will be more prone to not pay attention to your form and injure yourself in the long run. Men are also susceptible to fatigue injuries and sore muscles. Guys, it is ok to skip a workout…you won’t lose that 6 pack in a week!

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This Post was written by Helen from Tartelette