7 Steps to Boost Motivation for the Back-to-School Mom

Special thank you to Go Time Training for sponsoring this guest post and for bringing quality fitness and nutrition programs to our community of moms. 

It’s August and we all know what that means—the kids are headed back to school! Some moms shed tears while others jump with glee knowing life will slow down with the kids not at home all day.

As much as I adore my kids, I’m ready for them to get back to their school schedule and not be bored and hungry every single time I turn around. Please tell me I’m not the only mom thinking this! Just a few months ago, do you remember feeling motivated to get that summer body? Hey, I know it’s easy to tell yourself one thing and find yourself doing another.

I was once 125 pounds heavier, so I’ve been through all the seasonal struggles.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be SuperMoms at all times (at all costs) and often that comes at the expense of our health and happiness. With that comes low self confidence and zero motivation to get out of the rut. Upon making my own transformation and losing the 125 pounds, I’ve created a simple 7-step approach to staying motivated that I use with my clients at GoTimeTraining…you’ve got this, moms!

Step 1: Write Out Your Goals

What exactly are your health and fitness goals? Get back your pre-pregnancy body? Feel good in your skin? Clothes that fit better? Help the family eat healthier and moving more? Goals are a HUGE part of what’s going to get you motivated and keep you motivated (especially on the days when you have been up all night trying to finish a science project or cleaning up after a sick kid). Put your goals on the fridge, in your room, or as the wallpaper on your phone. Put them somewhere where you will be reminded on a daily basis of what it is you are working towards and set reasonable expectations.

Step 2: Schedule Your Workouts

Yes, this might sound silly but most of us keep a family schedule or planner – just like any other appointment, things that get scheduled get done. I highly recommend getting in early in the morning before the world wakes up, too. This is why our 5:00am, 5:30am, and 6:00am group training sessions are packed! Plus, you feel strong and capable all day after a killer workout. Aim for 3-4 strength-training workouts per week.

We’d love to see you join us at GoTimeTraining for a FREE Bootcamp workout for just the Wichita Mom’s Blog readers on Saturday, August 27th at 8:00am. It’s open to all fitness levels and you can sign-up here!

Step 3: Find a Workout Partner (or workout Community)

Accountability is king when it comes to fitness. Grab your bestie and refer back to Step #2—get it scheduled. Plus, it’s great girl time! You all can meet at the gym, park, or at your own house. If you can bring the kids along and include them, more power to you. Just make sure the priority is your workout and not the chit-chat, coffee, or talk time.

Step 4: Have a Plan

Whether you are creating your own workout, working with a personal trainer, or doing a fitness class – always have a plan. Often, we end up at the gym with great intentions of working out, only getting there and becoming completely overwhelmed not knowing where to start or what to do. Having a workout plan will allow you to get in there and get done in the smallest amount of time. Click here for a quick and simple at home workout that you can do with minimal weights (just grab some milk jugs).

For those who are ready for a workout and nutrition plan, you’ll love our September 28-day TakeDown Challenge that is quickly approaching. It’s a step-by-step lifestyle kick-start that includes everything but the food and the fork.

Step 5: Find a Support System

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a strong support system. We all know this but it’s rarely applied in real life. Heck, that’s my entire job for our clients as a nutrition coach. For many of us moms, this is our husband and it’s ok to ask him to watch the kids for an hour while you take care of yourself. As a Wichita Moms Blog reader, you have an enormous support system at your fingertips, so I highly recommend you rely on each other and attend various events to build those relationships that you can lean on when needed.

Step 6: Nutrition + Sleep Rules

Often when we struggle with motivation we forget to look at our daily habits to realize we could make some changes to see some huge results. Eating junk food and getting little sleep with leave you feeling unmotivated, foggy brained, and lethargic.

Be sure to get 6-8 hours of sleep as best as possible. I know many of you are up all hours of the night feeding the little ones but when you can find the opportunity for rest, take it. Stock the fridge with healthy choices and avoid the pantry that isn’t loaded with cookies and cupcakes. You know yourself that you don’t feel better eating junk food.

I have lots of great options for food in my most recent blog post “A Day in the Life of Eating Healthy on Mom Duty”.

Here’s a quick list of healthy snack options to have around the house:

  • Celery with peanut butter and some fun toppings: almonds, raisins, or chocolate chips
  • Pair together beef jerky & popcorn (My favorite is the Sea Salt Caramel Smartfood Delight) to get a perfect mix of proteins, carbs, and fats!
  • Wrap a cheese stick or two in some deli meat! If your feeling really adventurous then put it inside whole romaine lettuce leaves with pickles and mustard!
  • Mix hummus with veggies for a great afternoon snack! Even take it on the go by putting hummus in the bottom of a mason jar and then sticking veggie sticks into the hummus.
  • Whip up Greek Yogurt Parfaits by mixing together Greek yogurt, fresh berries and topping it with homemade granola!
  • Make some Peanut Butter Protein Balls
  • Trail Mix – make your own so you can customize it however you please! Add things like dried fruit, any type of nuts or seeds, beef jerky, chocolate chips, etc.

Sometimes healthy recipes are hard to find. We’ve got your back with our 28-day TakeDown Challenge that begins on September 23rd. Kids love picking from the list of recipes. Who can say no to mason jar tacos and BBQ chicken pizza?

Step 7: Be Grateful & Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Guess what? We’re moms, and life happens. You’ll miss workouts and fall down on eating healthy. It’s OK, just get back up and keep going. I’ll remind you of a simple equation:

Pain + Reflection = Progress

Keep an open mind and constantly seek progress in life. And when you’re feeling stuck in a rut, remind yourself of why you’re grateful. This alone is one of the most under utilized ways to find motivation.

Bad days will happen, but you can’t get stuck on them. Our co-owner, Kalene, at GoTimeTraining has a super simple yet effective method to finding motivation that you’ve likely never seen. Pick up the phone and see what happens when you do this…

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You’re not alone in this journey. You deserve to feel good in your own skin and have confidence to do anything you desire in life.

We hope to see you at GoTimeTraining on Saturday, August 27th at 8:00am for a FREE Wichita Mom’s Blog Bootcamp.

Author :: Stefanie Griffin
GoTimeTraining Nutrition Coach | ACE Certified Personal Trainer

GoTime Training Postnatal Fitness | Wichita Moms BlogKalene Smith, and Shannon Dykman first met in 2009 and through their friendship, began to take their health and fitness passion to a higher level. Saying goodbye to their corporate jobs, Kalene and Shannon started coaching online, and in 2012 opened their own personal training studio. In 2015 they outgrew that space and moved into their new GoTimeTraining building. Now their mission is to #transform500 lives in the next year to become the healthiest and happiest they can be.

 

Wichita Mom
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