How to Get Back On the Horse

Hey friends,

This post is not just for readers, but for myself as well. In case you haven’t picked up on things, blogging has taken the back burner in my life. I had the day off yesterday, Tony went to work at night and I sat there and thought to myself… “what have I done here?”.

Yes, I’m busy, but I’m not TOO BUSY to find the love I once had, to find the enjoyment out of writing, and to find peace in my beautiful new blog space that is rarely used.

So what is a girl to do? Well, just like fitness… It’s NEVER too late. So whatever your goal is in life, you can do it, with a few little tweaks.

If you feel like you’ve fallen off the horse with your healthy lifestyle, well I’m here for you too. My diet has been pretty good lately, but Tony and I do enjoy a treat. I’ve been struggling to keep them under control, but for the most part we enjoy once a week or so… my downfall for the past few months was getting in gym sessions that COUNT on days I work. It’s been my greatest struggle lately as I don’t even reach my gym until 8:15pm, so I’ve ramped up my quick sessions to make sure I get bang for my buck.

Now that I’ve given you a little background on this post… I’ll give you the real “How To” 

1. Tell yourself “I have time”.

Yesterday at the gym I was on the spin bike and I said it out loud to myself. “I have time”. I want you to say it out loud too and repeat it. If you truly want something bad enough you squeeze in the time when you can. Maybe you wake up an hour earlier, maybe you skip that hour of television at night before bed (you can always catch up on a day off!), or maybe you are lucky enough to get that thirty minute lunch where you can go outside for a walk or run. There is time.

2. Let the healthy options invade your kitchen.

If you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it, right? Our fridge is packed with veggies, fruits, cooked proteins, cashew milks, and healthier condiments. I will admit sometimes when I get back from the gym I want a treat! However I’ll save some carbs from earlier because I know how I am. A piece of fruit is always a good option too, and what better time than summer? You can peek in my fridge over at this post. 

3. The Buddy System. 

Tony and I don’t exactly work out together, this would be a giant lie if I tried to pull that off. HOWEVER, my best friend Sarah who lives across the country in Seattle is my “buddy”. We made a promise to each other to keep our workouts and diet in check until Blogfest mid July. You don’t have to physically go to the gym with someone, just have someone you can talk to, even if it’s to vent. If you don’t have a “buddy” per say, instagram posts work for street cred 😉

4. Keep your goals where you can see them.

For me, I keep my diet plan on the fridge. Frankly, I know what I am going to eat, but if I physically see it, it keeps me on track. Not a fan of this? Dream boards are EXCELLENT. If you’re crafty, create a board from cut outs, clippings, or your own writing and place it on a cork board. Keep it somewhere that you will see every day. I’m a virtual dream board person and I always have some sort of technology open, therefore my dream boards are on Pinterest. I’m also a fan of just keeping images up on my Mac while I do other things.

5. Don’t Deprive for the Strive.

I only speak from experience here. As a former bikini competitor, I counted every morsel that went into my body, said NO to anything that wasn’t plain chicken, fish, or veggies, and then dreamed about sweets at night. Where did it get me? Gaining all the weight back that I screamed, cried, and sweat off. Yes, all of those things happened. Tony and I enjoy one treat a week now. I may not be stage lean, but I’m a lot happier. The longer you deprive yourself, the more likely you are to binge and never look back.  Just don’t do it.

6. Meal Prep Mania. 

I couldn’t make this list without talking about the obvious here. You guys know I swear by meal prep. No, I don’t prep ALL MY MEALS for the entire day. I prep for how long I know I’ll be out of the house. If I work three shifts in a row, I make enough meals to fill those three days I’m gone. Think about it… you’re at work, someone says “hey let’s grab pizza”. Are you really going to let your hard work go to waste? Meal preps can sometimes take me a bit of time that I’d rather just do it so I know I have a meal to eat, rather than be tempted! You can learn how to meal prep here on my most popular post! 

7. Beautify your space. 

This may not be for fitness exactly, but could apply if you have a home gym. My blog room is still “under construction”. I have a few boxes with pictures, and other things I want to hang up on the walls to make my space a beautiful home office. The more cheery your space is, the more likely you are to use it. Hey, you could always hang that dream board in your home workout space 😉

I think 7 is a good number to end this… it’s lucky right? To be honest, you don’t need luck if you have determination and drive.

You can do it, I can do it, WE can do it!

Have a wonderful day!

XOXO With a Cherry On Top,

-Minnie