From Fat to Fit: I Don't Want to Work Out!

Many of my clients seek out personal training because they’re overweight. Christine is one of those clients, and over the next few months she’ll be sharing her progress with us. This post was originally published July 3, 2013. I'm reposting it here as I've moved blogs.

Sometimes it’s a challenge just making it to personal training. I’m not a morning person, and I usually feel like a slug for an hour or two after waking up. It is, therefore, something akin to a miracle that after four months I’m still in personal training three days a week!

For those of you who can relate, here are my top five tips for getting motivated:

1. Sleep in your workout clothes. If I know I’m going to have a particularly rough morning, I’ll sleep in my workout clothes the night before. That way, I have one less excuse not to go to training, and I’m already halfway ready when I finally roll out of bed.
2. Promise yourself a food reward at the end of your workout. Of course, it needs to be low calorie, compatible with the paleo diet, and still delectable enough to get you out the door. I’ve been making a killer protein shake that does the trick. Make it yourself by blending one scoop of vanilla protein powder with ice, water, a handful of blueberries, and plain yogurt. Sometimes I throw in a banana for good measure, but that’s more of a splurge since too much fruit is bad for weight loss.
3. Tell yourself that working out is optional, but getting to the gym is not. This fake out trick works every time. Once I arrive for my session, I invariably feel pumped up and ready for my personal training.
4. Find a workout buddy. Set up regular workout times with a friend or two. The commitment will be harder to blow off than one you’ve made to yourself. Hiring a personal trainer like Andrea takes this to the next level. Not only are you challenged to show up, but you’re also challenged to really push yourself throughout the entire the session.
5. Tape a picture of your pre-workout self to the bathroom mirror. I haven’t actually done this yet, but I was looking for a fifth tip to round out the list and stumbled across this suggestion on a lifestyle blog. I’m going to try it, because I’m seeing a huge difference every time I look in the mirror, and that already keeps me pretty motivated. I imagine that seeing my pre-workout self will be even more compelling. After all, I’ll be able to see the tangible results!

Make sure to keep reading for more updates. I’ve been getting tons of compliments on my new, slimmer body shape, and I’m going to post another picture in a week or so.