How to Stay Motivated with Your Health Goals + Satisfying Energy Ball Snack Recipe
This is a summary from a news segment on Fox Carolina’s Access Carolina. Click HERE to watch.
Staying motivated as you’re working towards your health goals is crucial. And motivation, in my experience, is the one thing that people struggle with as they’re working towards their goals.
Motivation is like the fuel that keeps you going on your journey towards your health goals. Without it, you won’t get there.
But oftentimes, what I find, is people think motivation is this hard thing to have and keep. Or even this thing some people have and others don’t have (and maybe you’ve thought… I’m just that person who isn’t motivated).
But feeling motivated boils down to just a few things.
1. Start with your WHY
Having a strong why is VITAL to staying motivated. You have to have a strong sense of WHY you’re doing what you’re doing. Why are you waking up at 6 to exercise? Why are you carving out time on a Saturday to meal plan & grocery shop. Why are you wanting to eat healthier?
Maybe, for you, it’s wanting health and longevity for years to come. Maybe it’s wanting to show your kids what living a healthy life looks like. Maybe it’s wanting to still be able to get down on the floor to play with your grandkids.
These are the things that will keep you showing up, even when you’re maybe not feeling it.
2. Focus on CONSISTENCY, not PERFECTION
This is a HUGE reason why I see my clients struggling with consistency. They are making consistency mean they have to be perfect. But here’s the reality… we AREN’T perfect. You WILL have days where it doesn’t happen. Where you sleep through your alarm or the day gets away from you and you haven’t exercised like you wanted to. You’ll have a night where you overeat.
And the key here to continuing to feel motivated is to not make these moments mean anything. To not make them mean that you failed or are a failure.
Consistency IS how you’ll reach your goals. But perfection isn’t required. It’s what you do, continuing to show up, even when you “fail” that matters.
3. Get support & accountability
As you’re creating new habits and making lifestyle changes, your brain is going to want to offer up all the reasons why you shouldn’t do the things to make these changes. Because brains LOVE staying in their comfort zone. Having support and accountability from someone like a coach is what helps you to keep showing up even when your brain is saying, “you’re ok just where you are”.
4. Focus on making everything that you do as you’re working towards your goals FUN!
It’s basic psychology. We want to do what gives us pleasure. So, another reason why I often see people falling off feeling motivated is they’re trying to do something that they don’t enjoy. Of COURSE you don’t feel motivated to do a HIIT workout if you don’t enjoy that type of workout. Of COURSE you don’t want to eat healthy when what you’re making is flavor-less.
The KEY to staying motivated is making whatever you’re doing FUN & ENJOYABLE!
One of the ways you can do this is making what you’re eating… ENJOYABLE & SATISFYING!
I LOVE having some grab-n-go snacks on hand, like these Energy Balls, that have protein and carbs to keep you full and energized for hours as well as some delicious chocolate chips that add that satisfaction factor. I will often make these as part of my weekly meal plan and meal prep so I can grab them when I’m hungry between meals to help tide me over until a meal OR as a fun little sweet end to a meal.
If you make these, I’d love to hear! I have a whole list of other recipes I love & make and recommend as part of my online program, Stop Dieting Start Living. Inside this program I teach you how to eat intuitively, heal your mindset & relationship with food & your body, and reach your health goals without dieting. To learn more about working with me in my program, click HERE and I’d love to support you on your health journey and journey away from dieting.