Hey everyone! I’m writing this post fresh out of a fitness assessment with a personal trainer at my gym – woe is me! 😩 Working out was never something I was excited to do; and as much as I don’t like to admit it – I love me some good (not-so healthy) food. Now, I already knew that my lack of consistency was weighing on me, LITERALLY; but didn’t realize things had gotten so out of hand. It’s time for me to get back to my old self; and to do that, a sustainable change in my diet/fitness routine is a must. I figured some of you guys may be going through a similar situation, so I’m sharing some tips that have helped me level up my health and fitness. 

80/20 RULE

Counting calories never worked for me, and eating clean can get super boring, super fast 🙄. I don’t know about y’all, but trying to keep up with that, often results in that crazy Wednesday night pizza binge lol. For me, the 80/20 rule has been the easiest way to stay on track with eating well. Basically, you’re required to eat whole, unprocessed foods 80% of the time, and the remaining 20%, you can indulge in some of your fave foods. So let’s say you eat 5 small meals daily, that means you can have a maximum of 7 small treats per week. Pretty simple right?

PREPARATION IS KEY
Failure to plan, is a plan to fail. Ain’t that the truth! Prepping your meals ahead of time is a pain in the a** sometimes, but it’s a total game-changer. When you have healthy options in your refrigerator, you’re less likely to grab the first random thing you see. Apart from designating one day to cook lunches and dinners for the week, I like to wash, peel, and cut all my fruits as soon as I get home from the store. Not only does this make you less likely to eat junk, but you also waste less food overall. 

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE
As I mentioned earlier, working out was never fun for me, and that’s because I’ve viewed it as a chore for as long as I can remember. Lately, I’ve started to view my daily workout in the same vein as brushing my teeth. Thinking of it this way, has definitely made it more of a priority.

LOOK BETTER, FEEL BETTER
If you watched my and Keamone’s video on how to crush 2017, you’ll better understand where I’m going with this one. Buying cute workout gear motivates me to go to the gym, simply because I want to wear them! This may sound silly to some of you, but it definitely makes a huge difference for me. It also helps if you put them on before you go to bed. That way, you wake up dressed and ready to go!

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
The scale was once my main method of tracking, but it proved to be more frustrating than anything else. My Fitbit Charge has since changed the way I track my progress. Instead of obsessing over the number on my scale, I now track my progress by how soon and how often I can hit my daily activity goals. I sometimes do daily or weekly challenges with my fitbit friends too; which really gives me an extra push, since I hate losing 🤣 I know some people don’t believe in the accuracy of fitness trackers, but trust me, it will definitely take your fitness journey to the next level.

What are your tips for staying on track with fitness? Let me know in the comments!