This first full week of the New Year has brought school stress and New Year’s gym struggles. I’m embarrassed to tell you the last time I went to the gym considering how much I preach self-care and wellness on here. But, better late than never right? One thing I do know about trying to get back in shape is that it sucks. There’s no other way to describe it.
It’s so tempting to let this suckiness keep you from your fitness goals. You started the year off so robust, but this week may have kicked your tail just enough to deter you from the gym for a while. Don’t let it! You did the hard part. You went! Now, here are a few tips to help you get back and stay back!
1. Schedule the Gym in your day
I’m a firm believer that if you don’t schedule something, it’s chances of happening are very poor. This is why you have to schedule the gym into your routine. Routines get your mind and body used to doing something. If you do it enough, you may feel off kilter when you don’t do it.
When you’re making your weekly schedule, put the gym in there in pen. Make it permanent and unmoveable. Bet someone that you’re going to keep going. The worst part about the New Year’s gym struggles is that everyone starts going to the gym. But the real champs are those who stay at the gym.
2. Don’t stop going because you’re sore
Soreness is the name of the game. This week, I felt like I could barely walk. A friend of mine told me she went to the gym once and went hard in the paint. But she was in so much pain that she didn’t make it back. We were on the same page. My body was literally cursing me out. But, as tempting as it is (or painful) you have to use those sore muscles.
Working out once and then taking a week off and going again will just perpetuate the same problems. Even if you just go and do something low impact, you’re getting your mind and body back in the groove. Before you know it, you’ll be in better shape, stronger, and able to have a regular routine that doesn’t leave you walking like a robot. Don’t let the New Year’s gym struggles of soreness get the best of you.
3. Stretch, Stretch, Stretch
I’m a culprit of skipping stretching so I feel like a complete hypocrite right now. However, I paid for my choices. Badly. My back was in so much pain this week I could barely move. I’m already inflexible as it is. Then I went and worked out muscles for the first time in months and didn’t give them the TLC they needed.
Don’t be me. Be much smarter and disciplined than me. I know at the end of your work out, it’s so tempting to pack your stuff and high tail it out the door. But this is going to make going back to the gym that much harder. Also, you open yourself up for injuries and strained muscles when you don’t stretch them.
Take 5-10 minutes before each work out with a dynamic warm up. This is an active stretch that loosens and warms your body up at the same time. Then take 10-20 minutes at the end of your workout to really stretch out all of your muscles, especially if you isolated a body region. Stretching will really help you overcome your New Year’s Gym Struggles!
4. Hydrate and Eat
Water is our friend. We need about 92 oz/day for women and 124 oz/day for men. When we’re working out, water is especially important. Sweating and exerting all of that energy expels the water in your body. In order to keep yourself balanced, you have to replace that fluid. Water may not be your favorite, but add some fruit or low calorie mixins to help you meet your water goals. Without water, you may experience dehydration, nausea, vomiting, cramping, and just feeling like s**t.
Find a water bottle and mark how many ounces it is. Make it your goal to hit 92 or 124 ounces everyday by drinking the number of bottles required. For example, if your water bottle is 32 oz., then you know you need to drink at least three water bottles. That’s it. Simple, right?
Food is also really important.
Working out and starvation don’t go together. I don’t care how fast you want to lose weight, burning calories and putting yourself at a dangerous deficit is not the wave. If you’re working out, you may actually have to eat more. If you want to lose weight and are trying to burn more calories than you consume, then make sure the food you eat is filling and nutritious.
Eat smaller portions and cut back on sugar and carbs. But bulk up on your meats, vegetables, low sugar fruits, and make sure to hit your recommended daily value of vitamins and minerals. Whatever you do, keep yourself healthy.
Not eating can cause low energy, fainting/passing out, lightheadedness, nausea, hypoglycemic shock or another medical emergency. Plus, no food puts us in a bad mood and makes us more tired. Your workouts won’t be as effective and high energy as you would like either. How are we supposed to rule the world when our stomachs are empty and we’re exhausted?
5. Have some grace
New Year’s gym struggles can make us really frustrated and irritated with ourselves. I can personally say I have never been as heavy as I am now and it is quite frustrating. My clothes don’t fit the same and I keep looking for some quick fix.
But there isn’t one. It’s so much easier to put on weight than lose it. It sucks, but it’s reality. Sure I could do some sort of starvation diet, but that’s not sustainable. I’m just going to put all the weight back on and have a really awful few weeks.
That’s why it’s very important for me to own up to my lifestyle choices that have put me in this position. It’s nothing to feel shameful about, but just to own. After I own that I haven’t worked out or eaten what I’m supposed to, I can put it behind me and decide to do something different. As I get back on the healthy lifestyle track, I know that I may slip and fall. It’s okay as long as I get back on track.
While I’m on this track I have to be nice to myself. If I wouldn’t let someone else say it about my body, I don’t need to say it about my body. I’m not as strong as I was and my stamina is nowhere near what it used to be. But it’s a journey and as long as I believe that I can get back there, I will. It’s not about how other women look around me or anyone else’s weight loss journey. It’s about me having a body I love and working to build healthy habits.
And the same goes for you. This is your journey. Don’t be mad at yourself, things happen. Just acknowledge what you need to change and then change it. Keep moving forward, step by step, even when you mess up. Then before you know it, you’ll be further than where you were and closer to where you want to be.
6. Know your weight, but don’t obsess
I have a love hate relationship with the scale. I was in such denial about standing on it because I knew I wouldn’t like the number and would be forced to deal with it. So, for the longest time, I just didn’t know. Boy was I in for a shock when I got on the scale and realized how much weight I had gained. If I had monitored it better, I would have realized where I was at and made better decisions. However, I just kept telling myself my clothes still fit, I’m fine. But then they stopped fitting so well…
It’s important to know your number. Weight isn’t about meeting a skinny aesthetic or constantly shooting for a lower number. It’s about making sure that you are healthy and aware of your body. If you experience a sudden gain or loss, that could be medically important. If you want to lose or gain weight, you’re going to need to have an idea where you started so you can celebrate when you move from that number. Without knowing where you are starting, you’ll have no idea where you’re going. More importantly, you’ll never have any way to celebrate how far you’ve come because you don’t know.
I tell you this tip with caution. Weighing yourself everyday or basing your accomplishments on just a number is not a good idea. Weight fluctuates all the time for one reason or another. I wouldn’t do a weigh in more than once a week. And once you see that number, don’t let it determine who you are. If you are happy with yourself, then that’s great and I want you to love your body. If you don’t like the number and you have certain body goals, then work for them. Just don’t give up if that scale stabs you in the back. It happens to all of us, but at the end of the day, working out makes you feel strong and sexy and offers too many benefits to stop because of some stupid machine.
7. Treat Yoself
I did the Arbonne 30-Day Challenge in the middle of April 2020. One of the first things that the leader pointed out to us was that food wasn’t a reward. I thought that was the oddest thing because our motto in basketball was “Winners get ice cream.” That’s my relationship with food. I reward myself with my favorite items.
I don’t think getting back in the gym and overcoming New Year’s gym struggles should be any different. If you set a workout goal or followed a strict diet all week, absolutely treat yoself. When we work hard, it’s nice to receive a reward or something for it. It’s also an incentive to work towards.
Pick out an indulgent meal or treat and put it on your calendar. Make it visible so when you feel like giving up, you remind yourself what you are working towards. Maybe it’s bigger, like a vacation you want to look good for or your wedding. Whatever your treat is, enjoy it because you worked for it and deserve it. Perhaps, further down the line, you space out your rewards but do what you’ve got to do to keep pushing yourself. Stay in the gym, keep loving yourself, and we’ll get where we want to be together!
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