If you have been reading my blog long enough, you know I am a wife and a mom of three small children, including a set of twins. I have had my struggles with the extra pounds and hokey yoyo diets. But, none of the yoyo diets ever worked, that’s why I made a full lifestyle change a few years back. No more hokey diets, dream shakes and broken promises of the latest diet fads. It was time for a whole lifestyle change that consisted of eating clean, exercising daily and self-love.
I am a firm believer that if you transition yourself into a healthy lifestyle, you will feel so much better. You can be more productive, you will enjoy your kids more and your clothes will start to fit you better. But, take it slow and be kind to yourself. It will not happen over night, but with a few small changes you can be on your way to a healthier you!
Here are 7 habits to start your “transition” into better shape!
7 Habits To Help You Get Into Shape And Stay In Shape!
1. Have confidence: Don’t be intimidated by every fit girl in a cute two-piece workout outfit. You know the ones…….Come on, you can do this! You may be starting from scratch but, you have to start somewhere! Right?!
2. Don’t be afraid to push yourself: If you want to get the most out of your workout, the key is to focus on intensity. Doing quick and focused workouts will help you get in shape faster than slow, moderate workouts. If your goal is maximum efficiency (aka fastest possible results), you should be sweaty at the end of your workout! No PIXIE DUST people, full-blown sweat! This should make you happy people!!!! No more killing yourself in the gym for hours on end. Get in and get out is the name of this game! Short and assertive workouts work best for your body and for your schedule!
3. Focus on full-body exercises: Include full-body exercises like squats, burpees, push-ups and triceps-dips, just to name a few. Full-body exercises will help you more in real-life situations (like lifting the groceries out of the car or playing with your kids at the playground). Plus, you will start seeing results faster! By using your full body instead of one muscle at a time you will burn more calories. And who doesn’t want to burn more calories?! Seriously!
4. Do plenty of Plyos: What are Plyos? So glad you asked! If you ever played sports growing up or went to P.E. class you’ll probably remember plyometrics: exercises like long jumps, tuck jumps, jump lunges, sprints and more. Plyos are great because, they’ll help you burn fat and lose weight. Doing Plyos is a great habit to build into your workouts. These may sound hard, but remember we are focusing on short and assertive workouts, not long drawn out workouts, so these may be hard, but at least they will be over fast!
5. Set (athletic) goals: Even if your ultimate goal is to lose weight, it’s much more motivating and satisfying in the long run to work toward an athletic or fitness goal of some kind. Working toward athletic-focused goals will not only help you get fit quicker but, will help ensure you make health and fitness a priority for life. Example: Instead of making your goal…. I want to lose 20 pounds. Make a different athletic goal for each week….. This week my goal is to do 10 pushups instead of 8. Before you know it those extra 20 pounds will be gone.
6. Stop making excuses: Want to know one of the best habits you can adopt to get fit quicker? Stop making excuses! There is no excuse not to workout and eat clean! NONE! (There is the Fitness Trainer coming out of me.) Absolutely no excuses, where there is a will there is a way. You may have to get creative, but it can be done. It doesn’t matter whether you have access to a gym, have workout equipment available, or have less than 15 minutes to work out — you can still get a good workout in if you set your mind to it! When my twins were babies I had to get super creative to get my workouts in. Having three kids under the age of three made in challenging, but I was a determined mama. Was it hard? YES! Did I want to quit somedays? YES! But, I had to retrain my brain, stay positive and stop making excuses! So……stop the excuses!
7. Eat clean foods: Eat foods that nourish your body. Eat foods that God gave you. Take the preservatives and additives out and stick to the wholesome goodness that is here on this earth for you to take advantage of. Abs do not start in the gym, they start in the kitchen. And when we fuel our bodies with less preservatives and additives you will start seeing those ab muscles again!
Here’s the deal….
I do not have fancy workout equipment. I do not have a perfect life.
My kids make it hard for me to workout some days. My equipment is old, but it works. Life is crazy some days, but I make my lifestyle a priority.
You’ll be amazed at how quickly you start getting in shape once you become consistent with your workouts and quit your excuses for good. Find a workout that is right for you and your lifestyle and stick to it!
Need help? Let’s chat! I would love to help you get on track. Let’s chat! Go HERE and let’s get started on this journey together!
Until next time…
~xoxo
Mandi
-
Ready to jump on the clean eating wagon? Check out my Clean Eating Quick Start Guide. Packed full of tips and tricks to get you on your way to eating healthier! You deserve it, mama!
-
I would love to invite you to join my FB group, Being More Than Just a Mom, where we share, encourage, support and uplift each other. We share fitness tips, holistic living recipes and tips, anything and everything family and all the while giving moms permission to be themselves. We keep it real and share on a daily basis! If you would like to join, head on over and ask to join us.
- Post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on the affiliate links you are helping support my family and this blog. Thank you for clicking and buying through our links! You are truly a blessing!
Copyright: stockasso / 123RF Stock Photo
