Motivation. The one word that mystifies people who are on a weight loss journey so much. I could argue that finding your motivation is really the only thing you need to be able to reach your weight loss goals but so many people can’t find it, lose it, or just feel like they don’t have it. I used to be one of those people. I used to feel uninspired, unmotivated, and honestly really sad about it.

I wish there was a pill or a magic jelly bean that we could all take to find our motivation but it just doesn’t work like that. And motivation doesn’t come to everyone in the same way BUT I will say there are a few tricks I’ve learned throughout my journey to help me stay motivated and I’m so excited to share those with you below.

Write Down Your WHY

I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about finding YOUR WHY a million times. Why did you want to start eating healthier? Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to workout? The answer will most likely be completely different for everyone but knowing WHY you wanted to start this journey in the first place will help keep you motivated when you are questioning if it’s worth continuing. Maybe you started because you were unhappy with your life, maybe it was because you wanted to be able to keep up with your kids, to run a marathon, to find confidence, to prove to everyone who bullied you that you can change, whatever the reason is, write it down. Hang it up. And remember it every day. Remember it when you are sitting in your car in the parking lot of the gym not wanting to go in because you’re tired, hungry, or sore. Remember it when you are out at a restaurant with healthy options but you want something unhealthy. Remember your why when you want to give up and just go back to how it used to be — use your why as your fire. Let that fire light something inside of you, so you begin to fight for your why and for yourself.

My why has changed a bit throughout the years and I’m here to tell you your why might change too and you know what, that’s awesome. This journey is all about evolving, learning, growing, and loving. Love your why no matter what and believe in it 100 percent, even if and when it changes it will still be one of the biggest motivations and fires to keep you going and motivated on your journey.

Fill Your Feeds with Motivation

How many times a day do you find yourself on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter?! Probably more than you realize. Every image we see can have a huge impact on us whether we realize it or not. We are constantly surrounded by visuals on social media so use your social media as a source of inspiration and motivation. Follow others who are on your same journey. Follow people who motivate you. Who cook healthy, wholesome, and good for you food. Who gives you workout motivation and makes you want to go to the gym or to that spin class when you get off work or when you wake up before the sun! Scroll through your feeds and be inspired and motivated every single day! Who are some of your most motivating social media feeds that you currently follow?! Share with me in the comments below!

Create Goals and Work Towards Them

Creating goals, whether they are small or big, will be a great way to keep you motivated. When you are working towards a goal it gives you purpose, drive, and intention for each day. Think of what you would love to achieve in the long term, maybe that’s to run a marathon or maybe it’s to lose 50 pounds, whatever it is, write it down. Then workout backward and write down some smaller goals to work up to the big goal. For example, if you want to run a marathon but have never even run a mile before you’re going to need to start running. Maybe your first goal is to run 1 mile, then your second goal is to run 3 miles, then your third goal is to compete in a 5k race, so on and so forth, until you work up towards accomplishing your big goal!

I always say to dream big and then find the small steps to make those dreams come true! Having these goals (big and small) will help keep you on track and motivated each day to work towards your goals and dreams.

Try Something New

It’s really easy to get stuck into a routine. You get comfy and it works but you’re finding it harder and harder to actually get yourself to follow that said routine. That is a huge sign that says you need to switch things up. Trying new workouts, new food, a new gym, or even switching up your rest days can really re-motivate you when you need it most. There are a lot of great options in many of the boutique fitness classes that allow you to take your first class free or even at a discounted rate, so take advantage of it! If you have a CorePower Yoga near you, for example, they give new students a whole WEEK free. So get on your phones and computers and explore some new options. Switching up your routine and trying something new gets you out of your comfort zone and into a place of growth and even excitement about that growth! Being excited about trying something new is key too, so find something that excites you so you can look forward to it!

Join a Dietbet Game

If you’ve never heard of Dietbet, well girl I have you covered! I wrote all about what a Dietbet game is like in this post here and I’m about to host another game in 3 weeks! Joining in a community of others who are doing the same thing as you is super motivating as well as the $35 dollar bet you have on the line! I know for me when I spend my hard-earned dough I don’t want to see it go to waste, so it’s more motivation to get your diet in check and to keep your workouts on point for 4 weeks! It could be that perfect thing you need to get yourself out of a rut and back into a motivated state of mind! If you want to join in on the fun, sign up here to be a part of my game that starts on MARCH 28TH!

Create a Vision Board

Remember when you were younger and you would flip through magazines and cut out all the cute boys, your favorite lipsticks, and basically anything you wished you had in your life, but maybe didn’t. Then proceeded to paste all these things to a piece of cardstock and make it your Lisa Frank binder cover?! Well, this is a lot like that but a grown-up healthy version of it! ha Gather all of your favorite girls, pour a glass of wine and flip through magazines, and cut out your healthy visions and life goals. Maybe you flip and see a beautiful salad recipe you want to try or a really fit woman running a marathon or lifting weights, whatever it is you want to do in your life creating a vision board or speaking about it out loud takes that dream and turns into a reality.

When you create a vision of what you want your life to look and feel like it sets it out into the universe and it’s truly the first step in really making your wishes, hopes, goals, and dreams come true. I know it sounds silly but it’s a great tool to relieve stress as well. Being creative and manifesting your destiny is also super eye-opening. Maybe you’ll realize something you’ve never thought about but you see it and say “I want that to happen to me” or “I want that in my life”. Pinterest is also a great way to vision board! Grab your girls and gather around your computers and find new recipes that excite you and new workouts that will get your booty toned and popping!

Find a Workout Buddy

This is one of my favorite ways to stay motivated and also have fun at the same time. Having a workout buddy or an accountability buddy means you have someone that you can depend on and who depends on you when it’s time to get to your workout. When you’ve penciled in a workout and your friend is expecting you to show up, you’re less likely to flake which means you’ll show up whether you feel like it or not. And you will be so happy you did! So find someone who you can have gym dates with and who you can meal prep with. Having a friend to depend on will make it easier to get the gym on the days you would rather not!

Buy New Gear

And when all else fails, as silly as this may sound, buy yourself some new workout clothes or those new workout shoes you’ve been eyeing, believe me, you deserve them! Everyone finds motivation in completely different and unusual ways and one of my biggest motivators some days is getting to wear my brand new leggings to my workout, or to show off my favorite new sports bra at hot yoga, or even breaking in new running shoes! If you are a fitness fashionista like me, then this will work wonders for you too! You don’t have to spend a ton of money either, you can head to your local TJ Maxx or Marshals or even head over to apps like Poshmark for some gently used gear! Or treat yo self and head to Lululemon, Nike, or Beyond Yoga and get something you’ve really been wanting!