Working out is part of my life. Don’t worry, I’m not an obsessive fitness freak. Although, I was for a few years. In those years I worked out 6-7 days a week for 1 – 1½ hours per day. I was quite obsessive about it, because you know, we think we need to look a certain way for other people to like us. So untrue!

Time for a workout

Well, this one is interesting, because this is different for everyone. I used to workout in the afternoon (after work) or evening after dinner, but it didn’t work for me. After a long day, I just want to relax or do fun stuff and after dinner, I always feel sick, because it’s too soon after a meal. It started to feel like a ‘must’, and that’s where it becomes harder and harder to maintain. So I tried the mornings. Right after I wake up, the first thing I do is a small workout (10-20 minutes). It helps me to wake up and start the day energized! After my workout I’ll take a shower and have my breakfast and I’m ready for a new day!

What to work on?

I let go of the unrealistic goals. I’ll never have a supermodel body, because I’m not motivated enough and I love to eat!! So I set a doable goal: I wanted to get rid of some back fat, tone my legs and maybe work on my abs. Oh, and don’t forget about the arms (really do not like these exercises, but I’ll throw them into the mix).

One day I’ll work my back and arms, the other day my legs and abs. 

Different workout routines

I started my home workouts with videos on YouTube. These worked for a while, but I get bored really easily, so I started to create my own routines with exercises I actually enjoyed doing. I’m not a fitness expert, but they seem to do the job. Every now and then I alternate with a video from YouTube (Rebecca Louise – intense workouts, Lucy Windham-Read -7 minute workouts and very doable, and the newest one: Koboko Fitness). 

A few tips:

• Set a realistic goal for yourself.
• Not a lot of time? You can achieve a lot with short workouts if you do them 5-7 times a week.
• Alternate your workouts. This way you keep it fun and work on different muscles for more results.
• Drink 1.5 – 2 liters of water per day
• Try to maintain a healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables.
• Portion your food. I gained some weight in the past by not portioning my food properly. Even though I was eating healthy. A small kitchen scale works perfectly!
• Results do not happen overnight. Give it time, just don’t give up! It’s normal to not always feel motivated. Make it part of your daily routine. Before you know it, you’ll start to notice a difference.

Do you have a workout routine? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. Did you enjoy reading this post? Don’t forget to press ‘Like’.