I'm not claiming to be a super fit gym freak (far from it) or know anything extensive about training programmes or diets. I hate the word diet in fact, they never work and just encourage guilt when you inevitably fall off the wagon on a Friday night. I have, however, stuck to a gym routine and a healthy eating lifestyle for a good couple of months now and I'm beginning to notice the change. I thought I'd share the things I've found helpful for staying motivated and sticking to it!
* Join a gym; a lot of gyms are offering really competitive, no contract memberships nowadays and they're definitely worth looking into if you've got the disposable cash! I had a Results with Lucy prescription for a few months and while the workouts where fun and did make me ache afterwards (always the sign of a good regime) I just found it so hard to stick to on my own at home! which leads nicely on to..
* Go with a friend; I arrange to meet my gym friend before and we go together, it stops me wimping out because I'm tired and she pushes me to do my best when we get there! I think I make a pretty good cheerleader for her too, and we keep each other entertained. Having a friend with me also makes me feel more comfortable navigating the weights room and the various machines. I know for a fact without her I'd never dare attempt anything too scary looking!
* Buy nice things to wear; I treated myself to some new trainers a month into my gym membership and it's funny how that made going feel worthwhile. With regards to clothes to wear at the gym, they needn't be expensive! most of mine come from either Tesco or Asda and do the job well! If I feel like I look good at the gym I find I work a lot harder than if I'm worrying about how these leggings make my bum look, or if that top is clinging to the wrong bit!
* Get a plan; a lot of gyms offer free personal training sessions as an incentive for joining up and you can ask the staff what kind of exercises you should be doing for certain results. I went one further and bought the LDN Muscle bikini guide because I wanted expert advice on how to change my body. I find that having a plan reassures me that I'm doing enough and also motivates me to go because hell, I've bought the bloody thing so I better go and use it! I find this one really hard work but I'm already seeing positive results and the instructions are clearly illustrated and actually aren't that scary once you get into it. I did have to give the eating plan pages a few reads but I'm on board with that too now! it's changed the whole way I look at going to the gym and has given me something to aim for!
* Change it up; if you go to the gym every day and sit on the bike for 45 minutes then go home, not only are you going to get really bored really quickly, you're going to plateau and not benefit from that expensive membership! Try classes or a different activity every day, like swimming or running. That's another good thing about having a plan, my LDN Muscle one has A and B weeks and works different muscle groups on different days so I'm never bored.
I think the most important thing is don't beat yourself up if you have a bad day or just don't go. No-one is perfect and no-one never has a pizza. Everything in moderation! Being healthy should soon become a lifestyle; if it ever become a chore you're going to resent it and are more likely to sack it off pretty quickly. I have loads of inspiration pictures on pinterest and places like that that I can look at if I ever get bored with it all!
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