I'm not here to give you a Tom Hanks motivational League of Their Own monologue.
I'm not here to remind you that you're tired from taking care of your kids and/or working all day, skipping your workouts, which is making you even more tired.
I'm not here to tell you that it's ok.
I am here to tell you that motivation is bullshit.
And if you think that motivation is going to break you free from the "mommy vicious cycle" and put you into a healthy lifestyle routine, I got news for you:
IT'S NOT IF YOU WILL FAIL. IT'S WHEN.
Motivation isn't linear.
In fact it goes up and down throughout the decades of your life. Years. Months. Days. Hours.
So why depend on something that isn't linear?
The reason we start and stop is because we depend on motivation rather than habits.
Are you motivated to brush your teeth?
Unless you just saw your dentist and had a mouthful of cavities, probably not.
Are you motivated to watch your kids?
Unless you had an 8 shot espresso, probably not.
You just do it because it's second nature.
It's habit.
It's routine.
So how do we create habits that we actually will succeed with?
1️⃣ One habit at a time!
👉 Research shows that trying to change 2+ habits at a time has lower than a 5% success rate. While focusing on one habit at a time has a 65%+ success rate. What's the ONE BIG HABIT that if you changed that it would give you the most momentum? Start there (hint: diet is 80% of your results so meal prepping calendar could be a starting point.
2️⃣ Start backwards
👉 Your end goal is to lose 50 lbs and get off your blood pressure meds. To lose 2-3 lbs per week, you'll need to be in a calorie deficit by eating less calories than your burning off. So you'll need to create an exercise routine and diet routine. How many days per week? What is your calorie target? Start with the end goal and keep asking yourself what needs to happen before "x"? Once you can't get any deeper, that's your starting habit.
3️⃣ Declare your "non negotiable" actions
👉 What are non negotiable actions that you will not let yourself negotiate anymore with? Is it daily exercise? Meal prepping? Weekly grocery run? Draw your line in the sand, write these down, and put them on a post it on your fridge.
4️⃣ Create a daily accountability system
👉 Research shows people that create a diet and training routine have 2 common traits: 1. they are great planners and 2. they have a daily accountability system. What do I suggest? Get your daily scale weight, progress pictures, log your food, or hire a coach to check in with.
5️⃣ Don't fall prey to the "5 D's"
👉 Demand, dramatize, despair, down. When you put too much "demand" on yourself, you're setting yourself up to do something perfect which is impossible. "Perfection" doesn't exist for humans. When we set ourselves to these restricting guidelines, we then dramatize when we do deviate because we weren't "perfect." Then we despair and think "why even bother?" And then get down on ourselves "what's wrong with me?" How do you avoid this? Follow number 1! Notice when you deviate THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. Create a strategy for next time it happens. Notice it as a small little goof. And move on!