Motivational Monday & Downloadable Menu Planner
| August 19, 2013 |
I have been on the biggest motivational downward spiral the past month or two. It’s normal to get burnt out and relapse back to old habits. The hard part is realizing it and then picking yourself back up and getting back on track.
[I’m about to admit a nerdy secret of mine]
I got a little addicted (or obsessed) to Survivor … you know, the show where a bunch of people get stranded on a deserted island in hopes of winning a million dollars? Yea, that’s the one. I can’t seem to stop. I’m streaming season after season, but my newly found nerd habit is a couch driven activity. Not to mention, I also find myself craving (and eating) the comfort foods they use as challenge rewards in the show more often than normal. This new obsession left me staying up late and missing my morning alarm to wake up early for the gym. Then after work, the last thing I wanted to do was battle rush hour traffic to head to my gym (that was over an hour away because of traffic).
You might be thinking, “just stop watching the show.” But really, the problem had been there even before the obsession. Since I moved into a new apartment further away from my trainer and got a new job closer to my house, the motivation to drive to the gym, spending more time in the car then the actual workout itself, was taking its tole.
One of my biggest struggles is making excuses. I realized after about a month straight of no gym time what I had been doing. I became a couch potato with a poor diet and no motivation to get to the gym. But I was willing to go to the gym if it was closer. So it was only a new excuse. It was time I put myself back on track!
Meet my new trainer: Emily
**Fangirl moment. I totally follow her on Instagram and realized that she’s not too far from me, so I booked a session. It feels like I’m training with an InstaCeleb! Haha. But in all seriousness, I’m super excited to get back on track. She’s kicking my butt and I’m slowly feeling more like my gym-obsessed-self again.
With new beginnings there’s new diet plans. So I made a printable menu planner that you can download (use the link at the bottom). I used to have a fridge tear pad but I have no idea where I got it and it’s all used up. But this was vital in helping me stick to my plan the last time I was following a strict diet.
When you plan out your menu, you’re less likely to have spur of the moment take-out meals or unhealthy home-made dinners. Seriously, if you’re like me, I feel so guilty when I have all the groceries and menu planned out and end up eating out instead. It’s like cheating on my fridge. I actually feel more guilty not using all my fresh ingredients than actually cheating on my diet.
But if you’re not like me, there’s still the benefit of being able to plan variety. It’s hard to think of creative things you can do with the same ingredients day after day if your stomach is screaming, “feed me!”
Emily Mraule is a fraud. She scammed me out of money and will not reply to my emails when I ask her for my workouts. Do NOT hire this con artist as a personal trainer. She will start off seeming like a decent person who wants to help you reach your goals, but once she gets your money she starts deleting your emails, ignoring your messages, lying to you and eventually shaming you when you get upset that she doesn’t write programs for you. Be AWARE of this shady lady.
I’m so sorry you had this issue with her. I didn’t have any issues with her, but I also trained with her in-person, not virtual. SO sad to hear this. I hope you were able to find a trainer that worked for you and is helping you reach your goals!