My Fytness Journal

When it comes to following any type of healthy eating plan or workout routine, the most important factor is your level of motivation. I am sure if you ask any of your friends or family about their past "diets" or gym trips, you will hear some sad stories mired in failure. I am very fortunate to be self-driven when it comes to working out and eating right. My problem lies in keeping it going. I seem to be able to go for 6, 7, or 8 months then have 1 or 2 month lapse if life gets a little tricky. That is the reason behind this blog. I hope to make myself accountable while maybe making some new friends with the same goals.

You see the failure in motivation in the Monday crowd that is too tired to go to gym on Tuesday and says they will go on Wednesday, then just end up going on Monday again because of guilt. Or, the New Years crowd that comes to the gym for 2 or 3 weeks, has no idea what they are doing,then ends up failing. Not everybody is blessed with the self-determination to overcome bad eating habits and laziness. Sometimes it takes a life changing event or health concerns to finally realize they should change their ways. Proper motivation is not developed overnight. It is cultured much in the same way that laziness is. How the two are built is not all that different if you really think about it. You really need to step out of your body and take a good honest look at your lifestyle. Can you do all the things you want to do and are you truly happy with yourself?

When I first started working out I built myself a little workout book. In it I outlined my exercise plan for 12 weeks in advance and there were slots for keeping track of my progress. I don't use a book now because I keep it all in my head and I find, for me personally, that I don't need to analyze every little thing I do. The workout book works for some people, I choose not to use it. I can recount the past 6 months of exercises and what weights and reps I did no problem.

However, in this book I also placed motivational quotes throughout it. I found it very uplifting to remind myself before a workout about why I am there. That it does not matter if someone at the gym is in good shape and makes me feel inferior. That what I am doing is for me and no one else matters. Make no mistake, if you are going to the gym to please someone else you will never be successful or happy there. You need to be there for you. Until you reach that stage your time is best spent elsewhere. It is a lifestyle change and you need to be ready for it.

Here are some my personal favorite quotes:

• What is more important to you, a flat, fit stomach or a McDonalds cheeseburger?
  
• They can because they think they can.
  
• Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
  
• Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
  
• Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.
  
• When you arrive at your future, will you blame your past?
  

I had these spaced all throughout my workout book when I first started, now they all live in my head. It is the little things that help sometimes. The help you need on a Monday morning when your alarm goes off at 5 AM telling you it is time get up and do cardio. The help when a friend wants you to go for all you can eat wings at a local bar on a Tuesday.

It boils down to truly believing you need a change and then setting yourself up for success. I will say it again, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

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