There are pros and cons to both working out at home and working out at a gym or following a personal trainers workouts.  Some prefer the gym, why because they feel more motivated to go to a gym and get in a workout.  Personally I have only worked out in a gym one time and didn’t feel near as motivated to workout.  I recently starting following a plan from a personal trainer and that is what brings to me write this blog.   I prefer my home workouts, but I am lucky enough to have a full gym and I can follow my own plan, a plan by a personal trainer or follow one of my Beachbody programs liken 21 Day Fix or Insanity. For the last 2 years I have followed Beachbody programs and lost a total of 35 lbs and gained 10 lbs of lean muscle all from the comfort of my own home.  It has been awesome for me because I don’t have to pay for a gym membership monthly, I don’t have to find a babysitter for my kids, and they usually join me if I workout when they are awake, and I love leading my example.

The big question is how do you find motivation when you workout at home?  Trust me is hasn’t always been easy.  I have struggled my whole life finding the motivation to get into shape and feel healthier, the excuses used to be bigger than my why.  When I started out on my journey in January 2014 I had recently had my 2nd child and gained over 35 lbs.  We were living in California I was a new mom and had no friends, I needed something to make me feel good.  Thats when a friend had posted her before and after pictures on Facebook.  I thought to myself “if she can do this so can I”  I started with one of the hardest workouts called Insanity and somedays I dreaded getting out of bed and doing them in fear of my baby or 4 yr old wouldn’t cooperate or I would start and give up because it was too hard.  After about a week of dreaded workouts I started to feel a change in myself, I felt a glow I hadn’t felt in a while, and I was feeling great.  More energetic that made me want to go out more and play with my kids, go for walks or go to the park.  So I suggest you give it your all for at least a 1 or 2 weeks and I guarantee you’ll start to feel a change in your attitude.  Here are my 5 top tips to getting motivation and making it a routine.

1. Set a realistic goal. Saying, “I want to lose 50 pounds in the next couple of weeks” is just plain unrealistic. The weight did not go on that quickly, so it will not come off that quickly. If you set goals that you cannot possibly obtain, of course you will be discouraged.
2. Find a weight loss partner or Support group.  Finding a partner or a group of women with the same goals lets you tap into the power of teamwork. Having someone to cheer you on, be accountable to, and work out with will keep you more likely to stay on track.  I have found so much support through my Facebook and I love knowing I have the support daily.
3. Start an exercise (b)log or journal.  Writing down your progress makes everything concrete. You can choose to write it down however you like.
   Start an exercise (and food) log. This is where you’ll write down what you do every day, how many calories you’ve burned, how close you are to your goal, and the food choices you’ve made. If you have a buddy, share it with them for extra responsibility. I love My Fitness Pal to log all my food and to keep track of my calorie intake
4. Take progress pictures.  Yes the dreaded before picture.  If you are serious about losing the weight and changing your lifestyle this is such an important step. The scale can totally put you down, you could be working so hard stand on the scale and see no weight loss and give up.  I like weighing myself yes I am guilty.  But what has kept me going are my progress pictures, they show you exactly where you are losing and what parts of your body are changing.  You’ll be so amazed after 3 to 4 weeks when you take another picture and compare them side by side what a difference there is.
5. Get into books, blogs, and success stories.  Seeing that hundreds of others have gone through the same thing you have can be incredibly motivating. Some of their stories may even touch your heart. Also, you may need to see others can and do succeed. This is exactly what got me started on my weight loss journey, and what has kept me going.  Your mind is the most powerful tool, and it can make you or break you.

I am here to help you in your weight loss journey, I love seeing other women and moms succeed and start to feel their confidence grow.  It’s my passion!  I hope these 5 tips help you on your weight loss journey.  To find some support from other women join me July 18th for a 30 day Healthier You Challenge.  To get more details send me an email at kyky_10@icloud.com or find me on Facebook!!  I’m here to help you succeed.