Are you, someone who actually enjoys working out? Like be honest, how often do you work out in a week, month, or year? This is a safe space! Prior to investing in a trainer, I would do about three workouts a week, consistently for six weeks then fall off then continue the cycle all over again. For me, the investment changed everything! When I pay for anything I show up at 120% compared to when I just rely on my own strength. I wanted to share a new perspective on why it’s important to work out, and how you can achieve consistency in your health journey.

One favorite thing about working out is realizing that getting active is a great de-stressor! One of the many reasons I started workout was to grieve losing my grandmother (Nana) and my older brother during the pandemic. Prior to working out, I would over-indulge in eating things that would make me feel better! Foods like Ice Cream, Chips, Candy, Mexican Food, or something heavy in carbs. The reality is, these foods would honestly make me feel more tired, which decreased my chances of actually going to the gym, and being active! More importantly, this habit hindered my health, not helped it. If this is you keep reading!

Acknowledge My Habits:

When I would get overwhelmed, I always stopped doing what was best for my body, which was eating healthy and being active. But why? After doing some inner work, I learned that when I was younger my dad would make “my bad days” go away by allowing me to eat something from my favorite fast food restaurant or snack from the gas station. Did this make him a horrible parent no, he was just trying to make my bad days better! Did this create a dependency to rely on food when I am having a horrible day? Yes! Years of doing these habits led to one of the many reasons I am overweight.

So how do you fix a bad habit? By replacing it with a good one. I started walking every day for a minimum of three miles (you get to choose what this looks like for you!) Essentially to fix the problem I need to release the stressor or trigger. What better way to do that than doing something that is best for my body?!

Thoughts Become Actions:

If you tell yourself “I hate working out”, then you will hate working out! The book Atomic Habits has a chapter that is called make it look easy. I applied this method to how and when I workout out. For instance, I love looking cute, so I would purchase Cute Workout Attire which would make me feel good as I went to the gym. If I look cute then, I will go to my workouts. Simple right? Essentially when I purchase workout clothes, I am geeked to get where?! Straight to the gym!

The final thing I did was incorporate drinking more water, I was struggling to fully stay hydrated throughout my day. Buying a Water Bottle really helped me drink enough water throughout the day, and sometimes even refill that bottle multiple times.