Keeping motivated

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself. Since I went back to work after Christmas on January 5th I've managed to keep up my three times a week gym visits. I don't do loads as mentioned in a previous post (although I've now started to include the stationary bike too as it's so easy to just add in to burn some extra calories). 

Anyway here are a few things that have helped me keep at it:

1. Always do the first session of the week - my first work out session is on a Monday after work and I think if I missed that then I would probably miss my other sessions too and soon get out of my routine. 

2. Never miss a session for no reason- I've changed my gym times around some weeks because of my childcare or work commitments but I think once I start missing to simply lounge around or go shopping then the gym turns into something negative. It's the same really with any commitment though like my college course. If I started to skive I would see it to be something negative

3. Motivational music - it helps to have some of my favourite songs to listen to on my iPhone and if I'm feeling a bit demotivated I will treat myself to a couple if new songs

4. Positive mantra- my fav is 'you'll never regret going for a work out' and I also like to check out Instagram for positive quotes and motivational images

5. Eating good food- working out means I can eat more which is good as I love eating . Although now I've started to eat less chocolate and crap and my regards are things like banana bread or a feta cheese omlette. 

6. Being realistic- I hate running so instead I walk on a steep incline on the treadmill which when I have my music on passes quickly. If I was running with my boobs bouncing up and down I'm sure the time would go much slower!!!

7. A nice shower-doesn't sound much but my own shower can only be likened to an old man weeing on my head so a washing my hair under a hot power shower is bliss. Plus it's saving my electricity bill and my time cleaning my shower and bathroom after I've washed my hair in there!

That's it so far... Even though 7 is a rather odd number to end on but here is a picture of my slowly developing six pack 

The gym...my relationship with exercise..

I think I first joined a gym in about 2001 when I was a student. I joined a pay and go gym at the local college which was linked with the university I was studying at (allowing me discounted membership). I went three times a week for about 4 weeks and then lost interest and never set foot in their again. A couple of years later, I joined the same gym again and followed the same pattern.

A year or so later I had one child and then another 18 months later so I clearly had no time to exercise at a gym. I did, however purchase a Wii and Wii fit board. I religiously used this for, yep you guessed it, about 4 weeks before losing interest! I then decided that swimming could in fact be my thing especially with the promise of a dip in the Jacuzzi after. I think I actually kept up the swimming routine at a local private gym with a pool on and off for about 6 months. It was actually nice to go there in the evening as a break from putting the children to bed  after I had put my children to bed as my then husband would never have agreed do something like put his own children to bed. After the mandatory 6 month period however, I let my membership lapse as we were in the process of moving house.

In January 2012 I joined slimming world as I had had enough of being about a stone and a half over weight. Once I started losing weight each week I felt motivated to start doing some exercise again. One of the mums from my daughter's nursery who I had began to get friendly with (who is actually now my very best friend) invited me on a guest pass to her gym. I ended up joining up for the gym and stuck to it for longer than ever. With the exercise along with healthy slimming world diet and the stress of being in an unhappy marriage I managed to lose 2 stone. The problem was however that my friend and I decided that it was far more enjoyable to go for our tea after work than slog it out in the gym.

When I changed jobs in 2013 I decided that it would be a good idea to join the gym opposite my new work place as one of the demotivating things putting me off was the 45 minute rush hour drive to the gym after finishing work. Once again though I had weeks where I was really motivated and would go all the time and then leave it for a few weeks and be back to the drawing board of unfitness.

When my year's gym membership expired I decided to join a cheaper gym due to my sporadic visits. This is the gym I am still a member of now and I am still following the same pattern. The problem is my life is pretty busy so at times when I am really rushed for time, the gym is the first thing that suffers.

Currently I have set myself the goal to go at least twice a week and to do some exercises at home in between from my book. Anyway-maybe blogging about my progress might inspire me to stick at it!! Watch this space anyway x x x