Get Fit. Stay Motivated.

confession time:  i have been so lazy this winter when it came to working out.  and i really have no excuse.

last summer and fall, i finally hit a breakthrough in my love/hate relationship with running.  i started kicking up my mileage and really pushing myself and actually ran a 10k…my longest distance ever!  and then it got cold.  and snowy.  and it stayed cold and snowy and i decided to stay inside in sweaters, wrapped up in blankets.  even though i have a gym membership that isn't cheap.

what sort of perpetuated this is that i (fortunately) really didn't gain any weight, so there wasn't this feeling of "oh my gosh i need to go to the gym."

but this weekend, something really clicked.  i had been hitting the gym to bike about once a week, but for the first time in my life, i missed running!  as someone who was a three-sport athlete all through high school and who was forced to run a lot (and as someone who was definitely not a very quick runner), i grew to hate it.  so this newfound emotion…this missing running…it was just weird.  but i kinda loved it.

so anyway, i went to the gym on monday and ran 3.25 miles with this treadmill interval workout, which was awesome and really encouraging.  and so on tuesday, i went back and ran another two.  and then i went to a pilates class that afternoon.  and then on thursday, i decided to go again and bike for 30min and work on my arms.

just to round everything out and feel like i'm seeing day-to-day results, i picked out two challenges and am on day four of both of them.  I've also added a push-up challenge to these schedules as well.

and friends, let me tell you.  i'm sore.  walking like a 90-year-old woman sore.  and it feels so good!

i'm determined to stay motivated and hit some goals…and here are some ways i'm doing it:

5 ways to stay motivated (from someone who's definitely not an expert):

1.  write down some inspirational quotes and place them in places you'll see them regularly!  (you can find a ton on pinterest.  one of my current faves?  "it hurts now, but one day…it will be your warm up.")

2.  join a community!  it's awesome if you can find some workout buddies in your area for accountability, but if not, look for a virtual one!  have you heard of tone it up?  the online community is free to join, kat & karena are super encouraging and you can follow them on instagram and twitter for motivation, encouragement, and workout tips!

3.  set clear goals.  for me, it's working out 3x a week, finishing my 30-day challenges, and sticking with a plan for at least the next month, because it takes that long to create a habit!

4.  designate rewards for hitting those goals.  (it's even better if these rewards are fitness-related!)  have your eye on a new pair of sneaks or like me, a sports bra from victoria's secret?  maybe you've been wanting to treat yourself to a facial or massage.  these types of things make great rewards for reaching a goal like sticking to your plan for a set amount of time or dropping a certain amount of weight.  note:  don't make your reward something like eating a huge bowl of ice cream.  i have no problem with indulging once in a while, but rewarding yourself with food that isn't helping you reach your goals is counter-productive! 

5.  drink lots of water.  this might seem like a weird one to help you stay motivated, but when i'm well-hydrated, my entire system just feels cleaner and makes me want to treat my body better!  yesterday, i drank a crazy ton of water, and yes, i was in the bathroom a million times, but overall, i felt so so so much better and it was motivating!     

do you like to work out?  what do you do to stay fit?  any tips on staying motivated?