For those of you who are new here, my name is Simmy! I had a baby last year and gained a whopping 60 pounds in the process.

Over the past year, I focused heavily on becoming the best version of myself. During that time, I was able to lose weight through hard work and dedication. In no way was it easy, but I got it done, and trust … I’m nowhere near done! The question I get asked the most is, how did I stay motivated and disciplined to lose the weight? We have two months left until the New Year, so I’ve decided that I would provide you with my top 15 gems to getting fit and sticking with it.

I mean we all know how this goes when the New Year comes around … everyone has it in their mind that they will get fit and healthy, and that they are 100% serious this year. But we all know that soon the motivation is lost and then the hard work and determination that is needed to continue seem to diminish for some reason. So I’m here to help you with that.

I want you to take the pledge to break the cycle of not following through your fitness goals. I will provide you with some precious gems on what areas you should be focusing on instead of only being concerned about what your body looks like. There are some of you out there that don’t even have a clue where to start and that’s okay because I got you.

Now let’s get into these gems.

1. Know your why!
   Why are you taking this step to lose the weight? Are you doing it for health reasons? Are you just trying to learn to love your body? Maybe there is a pair of jeans you would like to fit into!I want you to sit down and write out what your why is, really sit down and think about it. That way when you feel like quitting and not following through, you can go back and ready your why to remember why you started in the first place.
2. Set an attainable goal.
   When I first set out lose weight I was only worried about the long term goal. All that was on my mind was to lose weight the quickest and fastest way. I basically played myself and weren’t seeing any real changes. I had to take a step back and reevaluate my goals. I started to set small, manageable goals which as a result made me feel a lot better about myself. So don’t set extreme goals, because it is going to take some time.
3. Treat yourself to new workout gear.
   This is so important! You know the saying, “When you look good, you feel good?” Well we all know it’s true! Get a whole new workout outfit and if you’re on a budget just get you a pair of tights or some new trainers. I promise, you will feel like a million bucks!
   
   I remember I had to buy some new clothes because mine just didn’t fit an additional 60 pounds the same way. I ordered some tights from Fabletics, I tried them on, and I cried tears of joy. They made me feel good about myself, so yeah definitely have to get some new workout gear.**Check out Fabletics.com. If you haven’t signed up before you can get 2 tights for $24.00,! Click here to check out their gear!
4. Join a new fitness studio.
   I have no issues with regular gyms, but I truly believe you should find a fitness studio near you. You won’t regret it and if you are here in the DFW area, our fitness community is growing like crazy. I’ve tried out quite a few studios and wish I could join every one of them, but for now I will stick with CrossFit and dropping into local cycle studios.
   
   All you have to do is try out different studios near you, most of them are free for your first class. Pick the studio you like most and make sure to talk to people who work out there as well. You will eventually build a tribe and have accountability partners. I promise you will be even more motivated once you find your people.
5. Make your health a priority, that way exercise can become a priority. No excuses, stay committed.
6. Reward yourself
   I’m not talking about food. We tend to believe we deserve to treat ourselves for eating healthy all week or losing 5 pounds, think bigger people. That’s honestly how I’ve been rewarding myself though to best honest. Get some more new training gear to celebrate your weight loss. Buy yourself a nice purse. Spoil yourself for a day or heck, an entire weekend! Just make sure to have a reward in mind that matches the goal you achieved.
7. Challenge yourself
   Don’t always do the same workout routine. Try to do something different at least once a week, you don’t want to hit a plateau.
8. Stay positive
9. Eat healthy
   Remember, you cannot outwork a bad diet, it’s 80% in the kitchen and 20% in the gym. Pinterest is a good place to get healthy recipes, you can follow my meal prep board. I’ve been eating the same meals over and over again, so I’ll be trying out more recipes.
10. Have a support system 
    Don’t do this alone, make sure you have people in your corner! And if there is no one around you that wants to live a fit lift, just hit me up … I’m in your corner. Follow accounts on Instagram that post about a fit and healthy lifestyle, that way that’s all you see as you scroll down your time line.
11. Be patient
    Results take time and effort. I’ve lost 70 pounds and it took over a year for me, this didn’t happen overnight for me.
12. Keep a weight loss diary
    Make sure to take all measurements, do a weigh in, and take pictures. Whether it’s in your phone, a journal, or  blog make sure to document your weight loss journey somehow. When you see those small changes it will it gives you more motivation to keep going.
13. Have fun.
    Don’t be too serious, you’ll just stress yourself out. Have fun and don’t be too hard on yourself.

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Staying focused and motivated to lose weight is important to successfully reach your goal. I’m pretty sure that I could’ve provided with you with more tips, but these are the 13 things that kept me going. I hope that this helps, but just remember to take it one day at a time. Also, don’t forget to share this with your friends and encourage them to eat healthy. If you find yourself lacking support or have any other questions I’m always a message away! Good luck babe!

I would love for you to share how you plan to start off your fitness journey! Or if you have already started, how are you staying motivated? Please share in the comments below :)!

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