Sunday, June 14, 2015

When You Just Don't Feel Like It

I started my new job a few weeks ago. As a summer camp counselor, I am pretty much exhausted by the time I get home at night, what with kids always wanting to play and the hot sun beating down. So, how do you get a good workout in once you get off from work?

Protein! Protein throughout the day will keep you going. I bought some mixed nuts that have a lot of protein in them and snack on them throughout the day, which is important for two reasons. The first is that it keeps my energy up; the second is that in order for your stomach to maintain its calorie-burning capacity, your body can't go without food for more than three hours. You hear that, my weight-loss people? You can continue to eat and lose weight! Win-win, no? However, I highly recommend snacking on nuts, string cheese (only 50 calories and packed with protein), a protein bar, or another healthy alternative. Eating a candy bar probably isn't going to do it for you (sorry).

Get plenty of sleep! Duh, you say. With a good night's sleep, you can tackle your day and a workout after.

Breakfast. Eat a hardy breakfast. I drive an hour to get to work, and believe me, having time for anything other than remembering pants is a miracle. Sometimes I only have time for a lowfat greek yogurt, some of my mixed nuts (I'm slightly obsessed), coffee, and maybe a banana. If you don't have time for a four-course breakfast, that's okay. Just have something to keep you going.

Drink plenty of water! Shoot for nine cups a day. If you're the kind of person who really doesn't like having a lot of water, you can buy something to flavor it or just pace yourself. Have a glass every hour for eight or nine hours.

Think about it. On your drive home, think about what you'd like to do for the rest of the day. If working out isn't a top priority, do one thing you really want to do, then push everything else back behind your workout. For instance, on my drive home (like I said, I have a ton of time) I'll think about how good planting my butt on the couch and watching The Simpsons for a mind-numbing four hours sounds. Usually dinner is on my mind as well and definitely a shower to wash a day's worth of grime off my body. The Internet also calls my name and I think about my Instagram, my Pinterest, and this blog, along with a ton of fitness sites I peruse often. Once I get home, I'll eat dinner, workout, then relax to some crude humor, take a shower, and do everything else that I need or want to do. Find a place and time to squeeze in that workout!

Just do it. After you think about it, stop. Clear your head and just get into it. Even if you're exhausted, you'll feel better after you move your body and sweat a little (or a lot). So... Just do it!

However, if there's a day that you feel like you just cannot make yourself workout, don't feel down about taking a rest day. If you still don't feel up to it the next day, try to do something, even if it's a leisurely stroll around your neighborhood or backyard. Try not to skip more than two days in a row--it makes it so hard to get back into it! I hope you all found this helpful!

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