I find that I always start a weight loss/toning/get healthy journey off really strong. I’m motivated, dedicated and ready to rock n roll with the brightness of that sexy, svelte, toned bikini body standing in the light at the end of the tunnel, in this case, the end of the 12 weeks. The first week goes by well because it’s shiny and new.

By week 2 and 3 however, I find that I don’t have the same spark as I did in the beginning.

Is it because my muscles are sore and fatigued? Is it because in my head I expected to already have a six pack? No matter the logic, it’s always hard to train and not see immediate results and it’s perfectly normal to feel less motivated than the day you made up your mind to get your body into shape.

Here is how I stay motivated:

1. I try to treat each day as if it were Day 1. Once my alarm clock goes off in the morning, yesterdays slate is wiped clean and I treat the day as if I was starting from the beginning, no matter if I’m into my second week or the 8th week.

2. I turn to Pinterest. I have a board called Witness the Fitness where I pin motivating quotes and inspiring photos. If I really need extra motivation, I’ll make a sexy toned figure my phone screen saver. Since I’m on my phone all day long, it’s a good little reminder to make the right choices.

3. I try to remember the feelings I had when I started – all motivated, ready to go and excited. I then try to recreate that by giving myself a pep talk that goes something like this:

“Schneider, just remember, you’re only in week 2, not week 10 or week 12. You have a journey to get through. If it were easy, everyone would have a toned, fit body. Just remember why you started this and imagine how great you’re going to feel at the end of week 12. Just remember, a year from now, you’ll wish you had started today! Go get ’em tiger! Be your own best friend and know your worth!”

4. Sometimes my inner pep talks just don’t do the trick and that’s when I need to speak to a good friend who will get me back on track. I’m lucky to have an incredibly supportive boyfriend, best friend and support system at BUC and Sweat 1000. Ensure you have someone like this in your life who will help keep you motivated and remind you about your goals when you’re feeling uninspired.

5. When my schedule starts getting busier, the first thing I do is cut out exercise – it’s a terrible habit. As soon as this happens, it can be a dangerous spiral into getting out of a routine and becoming even more stressed. Remember, this has to become a part of your life. I now treat exercise as a meeting and actually schedule it into my diary. If people want to have meetings at that time, I tell them I’m already busy then with another meeting (no one has to know what), and I suggest meeting an hour and a half later.

If however, you really can’t miss a meeting, ensure that you then schedule another meeting for yourself (exercise) later on in the day.

6. Find a new recipe or exercise to try. Sometimes you just need to switch it up a little bit and I find researching a new recipe or even a new exercise I can try at gym helps a lot.

I’m in Week 2 of my personal 12 week challenge with Sweat 1000 and the BUC Fitness Club. I’ve been Banting and exercising with doing Sweat 1000 classes, training with trainer, Frank Spillman and stretching out in Pilates.

I’m definitely feeling good and sore, but I don’t know if I’ve lost anything yet. I also don’t want to weigh or measure myself just yet. I’ll do that in week 4 so that I can give my body some time to adjust.

Here are some photos Frank took of me training. Excuse me here…but no one should look “cute” when working out. Oh and in photo 4, that is not a grin, that’s a grimace. I was burning!

Sweaty and red in the face

I’ve had birthday after birthday and sometimes it’s really hard to say NO to the wine, champagne and birthday cake, but I keep reminding myself that a few sacrifices of champagne glasses and forks full of cake will all be worth it when I’m on the beach in December.

How do you keep motivated?