How to stay motivated in your health & fitness goals

With the seasons changing and weather getting colder we can sometimes lack motivation. TEAM PEAK fit mom Carissa Johnson is here to help you stay on track.

Create Realistic Goals

Make realistic goals in order to not get discouraged and quickly burn out. Goals should be attainable. Make a list of both short- and long-term goals and document your progress along the way. Taking pictures helps you see small victories and changes in your body that may not be apparent from glancing in the mirror. Or writing down your lifting prs or times from runs depending what your goals are can be a way to see your progress.

Everything in Moderation

BALANCE in diet and workouts. We see it every year… a new year begins with new resolutions. You commit to a set of plans to work out and clean up diets. While these intentions and goals are good and well, unfortunately only a small percentage make lifestyle changes that stick. With so many trends in fitness and diets, it's easy to jump out of the gate hot and burn out before you know it.

Moderation is KEY. Follow the 80/20 rule (80% clean, 20% whatever else you desire) especially if clean eating is new to you. Pizza is not the enemy but devouring a whole pizza yourself is. Portion control is a good thing. Workout and get your fitness on, but don't put family on the back burner. Don't sacrifice relationships while pursuing fitness. Sleep and rest are important and crucial in helping you progress in your fitness journey. Sacrificing sleep can cause burn out quick, so be careful in time management.

Listen to Your Body

Listen to your body when it comes to workout and diets. You know what works best for you. If you’re new to the process try something and it doesn't work, don't get discouraged and give up. Reset and try something new.

Do What Works For YOU

Try to set yourself up for success. A keto diet works for me to lean out, while my husband has experienced success on a paleo diet. Find a diet that works best for your lifestyle. If you love carbs don’t pick a diet that eliminate all of them. Find one that incorporates them in a healthy fashion.

As for fitness, I enjoy old school bodybuilding and HIIT cardio, while my husband prefers CrossFit style workouts. Both are extremely different but help us move closer to achieving our fitness goals. Although I prefer traditional bodybuilding, I sometimes have to switch my workouts to fit my lifestyle. When I don’t have much time because of my kids, I’ll resort to more of a CrossFit style workout.

Get off the Scale

Don't use the scale alone to measure your progress. Numbers lie. Fat is lighter than muscle so be careful when using the scale. It can be discouraging…the numbers on the scale may not reflex the changes you’ve made to your body. As you burn fat and gain muscle your weight alone will not determine your degree of success. Try progress pictures and doing measurements of your body to see the real changes.

Make Fitness a Lifestyle

Don't only rely on a gym being open. Learn how to get your sweat on without the gym. This couldn't be more relevant with this worldwide pandemic. Gyms closed for some time and many blamed the closures on giving up on their fitness goals. Doing body weight exercises until failure can do wonders and there are plenty of ideas for creative workouts at home with little to no equipment. Don't make excuses. If you want it, get after it.