If you answered YES to any of those questions above then guess what... You and I are more similar than you might have thought. From a young age until 21 years old I never broke 120 pounds. I ate two packs of poptarts for breakfast, snacked all day, never missed dessert, and NEVER gained a pound. Once I turned 21 and had the freedom to drink alcohol with any meal, and drinking became more of a social outing, I found that it was in fact possible for my body to gain weight. Now I don't say any of this to brag about what I bangin' body I grew up with, I say it to prove to you that everyone has a downfall. Alcohol just happened to be mine.
During year 22 and 23 I got my first taste of being miserable in my full time job. When you and one of your good friends (who you work with at the time) takes your lunch break together to go get drunk just to deal with your job, it's time for the reality check that the career might not be right for you. When you get home from your job and continue drinking, not a beer or two, but an entire bottle of wine just to handle the stress and drown out the misery of your corporate run job, it might not be the career for you. And when you find yourself on one of your days off, starting to drink mimosas at 10am to forget that you have to be back in that terrible place the next day... Well, you get the picture.
Again, I don't say all of this for a pity party, and I'm also not saying I didn't have so much fun during this time in my life, I'm just saying that none of this was healthy for me and my body. I gained close to 40 pounds, hated the way I looked, my intimate life with my boyfriend suffered because I didn't even like to see myself naked, so how could he?
Fast forward to May 2018, my last day at my full time job: I had just gotten my real estate license, and you wouldn't believe the sigh of relief that came out of me. Since then, it has been an uphill climb back to my weight at 21 years old. I get a lot of messages asking me how I do it, how do I make it to the gym every single day? How do I continue to find the motivation to go, even when I'm sore and tired?
There's no secret sauce that I can mail you that will give you motivation to go every single day, and I'll be honest with you, I have days that I don't want to be there either... But when you start to see progress in your body and you see your clothes start to fit looser, you can't help but to keep going.
Carol's tips to make it to the gym:
1. Go as soon as you wake up in the morning.
It's a proven fact that you are fresher in the morning, so when your feet hit the floor, throw on some workout clothes and head out the door. That way you have the rest of your day to do as you please. Fasted cardio is also incredible for a weight loss journey, but more on that in a future post.
2. Take workout clothes to work
If I don't go first thing in the morning, I always take workout clothes in my bag to the office with me. Once I finish everything I need to accomplish at work, I will change into my gym clothes here, and head to the gym. I pass my gym on the way home from work, so there's no excuse for me not to go if I'm literally going to pass it and I'm already dressed and ready to go.
3. Invite a buddy
An accountability partner is key to getting you in your workout routine. If your gym is unfamiliar, or you're wanting to take a new workout class, having a friend there for the first time always makes the experience less nerve wracking. The first time I went to my new gym here in Wilmington, I brought my mom, so no shame in who you choose as your accountability partner.
4. Start small mentally
Going to the gym with the mindset that it's only going to be a quick and easy 20 minute workout is the best way to get yourself there. 20 minutes is simple, it's in and out. Once you have gotten yourself there, it's so easy to turn that quick 20 minute workout in a 90 minute work out (trust me).
5. Find yourself a program that works
I have tried them all, Pop Pilates, BBG, at home workouts, and finally the one that has ACTUALLY worked for me: Fit with ASD. I hear a ton of people rave about BBG but let me tell you some good un-sponsored truth about that program; it is NOT for beginners. From day one you are thrown into the misery that is this "quick 20 minute workout" by day 3 you are so sore that not only can't get off the couch, but you definitely don't want to keep using this program. Fit with ASD has been such a god send, and if you have seen Grace's bod, you know it works. The best part of her program is that she gives you her exact workout that she does every single day, and based on your level in the gym you can modify it with less weight or less reps. In my particular case, I'm trying to lose weight, so I double the amount of cardio that she does in a day, but everything else I keep the same. If you are like me and haven't found a program that works for you- I highly recommend this one!
I hope this gives a little insight into my gym mentality, and if you want to see more on my fitness lifestyle- shoot me a DM on Instagram and let me know what you want to see!
Working out on daily basis is very important to have a fit and healthy body. But if you are not able to perform regularly then you should definitely workout on every alternate day- just like me. It is also important to have a good quality bottoms and sports bras to perform these activities effectively.
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