We all have days when the gym is the last place in the world we want to be. Or maybe it’s time to prep your meals a few days in advance, but you just don’t have the energy to go through all the cooking and cleanup.

But you’ve got goals to reach, so what’s the solution when you’ve temporarily lost your mojo?

We posed that very question to our roundtable of experts – Nicole Wilkins, Naomi Rabon, and Maureen Ashley – for the first-ever edition of the NW Fitness Group Training Team Roundtable. 🙌

Here’s what they had to say!

How do you stay motivated?

Nicole I never rely on motivation. I just do it. I don’t give myself the option. For example, if I have a swim session at 6 AM, I go to bed knowing I’m going to be in the pool at 6 AM – I don’t care how I feel at the moment or how I may be feeling when the alarm clock goes off the next morning. 😐

Naomi I think that for everyone, even the best of the best at their sport or in their field, motivation is an ebb and flow. It is never a constant thing that just stays with you once you get motivated. I rely much more on self-discipline than on motivation to continue working out and eating healthy on a consistent basis. When I don’t feel like working out I give myself a little lecture, telling myself things like “What would your clients think of you if they thought you gave in to being lazy every time you didn’t feel like going to the gym? Don’t be that person. You know how good you feel when you workout. Don’t be a hypocrite, just get your butt to the gym and quit being a baby.” I also use my workouts as a stress-reliever, so instead of thinking of my workouts as a workout, I think of them as mental, physical and emotional therapy sessions.

Maureen I create accountability for myself. I follow a plan for everything: training/cardio and nutrition. I don’t give myself room to say, “I’m not sure what to do…”

 

What is the single biggest piece of advice you’d give to somebody who can’t get motivated to start working out and eating healthy?

Nicole You have to make the choice to start. Then you need to define your goals and make a plan for achieving them. If you just “wing it” then you are likely to fall back on what’s comfortable and easy. Remind yourself that you’re trying to change and you won’t if you keep doing what you’ve always done. The next step is to set small goals that will take you to your larger goals. If you are scheduled to hit the gym after work, pack your gym bag before you go to work. Or if you know you’re going to have an exceptionally busy day, get up early and workout first thing in the morning. Prepare in advance. Cook your food for the next 3-4 days. Keep setting these small goals everyday and you will start seeing progress. That will make you feel better and encourage you to stick with it.

Naomi Think about where you’ll be 5-10 years down the road if you don’t change your habits. 🤔 Either you struggle through the difficulty of switching to a healthier lifestyle, finding a trainer or coach to help keep you accountable or you struggle with unforeseen and undesirable difficulties and illnesses related to an unhealthy lifestyle that will negatively affect you and those who love you. Life is hard, but you just have to choose which struggles you want to deal with.

Maureen Pick one thing to work on for two weeks. If you overwhelm yourself with too many changes all at once, they won’t stick. If you don’t eat breakfast everyday, do that. Once you have stuck with that for two weeks, choose another behavior to change.

 

What is your favorite motivational quote?

Nicole “Don’t decrease the goal. Increase the effort.”- Author unknown
Remember these words if you ever reach a point in your journey when the finish line seems to be running away from you.

Naomi “Just do it.”– Nike
After a certain point there is nothing left to say, there is nothing left to think, there is nothing left to ponder or contemplate…just effin’ dig deep and DO IT!

Maureen “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”- Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Fame Wide Receiver
It is so true and it’s badass! 💪

 

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