For years, losing weight has been one of my main goals in life that seems to fail every time. Either I give up because I’m sick of limiting my food choices, or I just get exhausted from constantly working out to speed up the process of weight loss. I’ve been thinking about ways to make it somewhat easier, and more fun in ways I would’ve never considered before. Forever, I’ve been so insecure of myself to the point where I’m not confident enough to try hard workouts, for myself or even in front of people. It all depends on your mindset, why are you really doing this? What is your main goal. Set motivations for yourself. It seems cheesy and overrated, but if you take it into consideration and think of it in a deeper concept, then maybe you’d understand what it really means. When I say set motivation for yourself, I don’t mean to just think of what weight you wanna get to by this month. Or what to eat and when to eat it. It is way deeper than that. 

  Something I have been working on is simply running. And keep in mind, I HATE running with a literal passion. But I thought that could be something I could change. I thought maybe if I used running as a way to discipline myself as well as push myself. When I first started running, which was at the beginning of January, I couldn’t make it very far at all. Running has always been one of the most embarrassing things I’ve done since I was practically almost dying because I was out of shape. I could probably run 30 seconds at a considerate rate and by then I was EXHAUSTED. The more and more I’ve run, the more I have gotten better and can last longer while doing so. Progress!! Keep in mind from January to now, I have given up so so so many times because I thought I couldn’t do it, which didn’t get me anywhere. I have started and stopped diets as well as work outs plenty of times which would only discourage me even more. Like I said previously, mindset is everything. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there”. And I’ve taken those words to heart so much during my weightloss journey. Self motivation has always been my issue. And while doing workouts I set small goals like “hey try to make it to this distance no matter how much it hurts, push yourself.” or “Try to make it to that mailbox”, while i’m running. Not only does it help my physical being but it also benefits my mental health. But how? It makes you mentally stronger and way more confident in yourself knowing that you are making yourself do something that you may not want to do, or something you may have struggled with doing. Of course it will make you tired but definitely in a good way! Once you have accomplished a certain time of workouts you honestly feel so much better about yourself:) JUST KEEP GOING!!! The more you do it, the easier it gets.

   What do I recommend during your journey?

-Stay away from the scale!! Try not to weigh yourself everyday considering you may get discouraged if you don’t see instant results. Because you won’t. Wait a couple weeks between checking and you’d be way better off. 

-No matter how sore or tired you are, keep going after it. The more you work yourself, the less sore you’ll get. Your body will get used to it. 

-Try spending time with yourself. By that I mean treat yourself. You are working hard during this so take time you check on your mental health, take a free day ya know? 🙂 

-Motivations!! Write down what you wanna accomplish within a few months to a year. Whether it’s down this many pounds or whether or not you wanna be able to do something you couldn’t do before. Write this down and put it away, come back to it a couple months later and see if anything was accomplished. 🙂

-Try cutting out foods that you don’t NEED. Of course you can eat what you want, just try smaller portions instead of making yourself “full” off of a single food. 

-Try to stick to it no matter what:) You’ve got this. 

 What are ways you can enjoy exercising? 

-Consider popping in an earbud to listen to music, and use it as a distraction. 

– Never think exactly about what you’re doing, because then it may make you unmotivated or tired. Focus on your breathing and maybe what you have planned for that day and what you may do when you’re done. 

-Try working out with a buddy or friend. Not only does it motivate you but you can motivate the people you do it with. 

-Try following along with trainers on youtube videos. 

-Invest in some comfy workout gear like spandex shorts, air wicking shirts, tennis shoes, etc. 

-Set goals by drinking more water if you aren’t already. Drinking water can be fun knowing it benefits your workouts. 

 What are some foods that are good to eat?

-Boiled eggs. Eggs have a good source of protein and very few calories. You could eat as many as you want and not feel like you ate too much. They also fill you up quickly:)

-Salads. I used to hate salads but I have recently learned to love them! You honestly feel good after you eat them! Try adding pieces of meat for additional protein.

-WATER!! Definitely drink more water! Cancel out any sugary drinks like sodas, juice, sweet tea, etc. 

-Cheat days are okay! Once a week maybe is definitely okay to do!

I hope you find this personal article/story interesting or helpful towards your well being. Whether or not you are wanting to lose weight, or not, this can be a way to show you anything is possible if you set your mind to it.