Two years ago, I was the fittest I had ever been- I was sticking to a regular workout plan, eating every fruit and vegetable in the book and (this is the most exciting part) I even started seeing the formation of some abs! But then… life did what it does best and it brought an obstacle to my progress. I tore my calf muscle in a pretty severe fashion — two years later my body still isn’t the same.

Recently, I decided it was time to stop making excuses and give it all or nothing. I’m on week two of attempting to be active five times a week and sticking to a healthy lifestyle.

Getting back into the routine after such a hiatus is something I 100% appreciate because I understand the fact that I’m lucky enough to be able to move in the ways that I can. It’s not easy coming back from an injury because not only is it a physical hardship but a mental one as well.

But I’m so ready. I think this is my fifth attempt in the past couple of years to really get back to the point that I was at but this round feels different. It feels different because I feel mentally ready.

I’ve noticed so many changes within my body in only the first 15 days of doing it, so I want to keep sticking to what I’ve been doing. But what happens when the 5:30 alarm goes off and I’m not feeling as motivated?

They say it takes three weeks to make an action, a habit. I’m almost at that three-week mark but I know there are going to be days where I slack off- and that’s okay! That’s healthy too but I have to know the limit between slacking off and falling off the horse completely.

A couple of tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years to stay motivated:

1. Making your background on your phone an image of a “goal” body you have in mind

This just keeps me looking forward toward an imagined goal.

2. Partner workouts

These really help keep you accountable to go to the gym and give it your all!

3. It’s 80% diet, 20% gym

Don’t waste all the effort you put in the gym for a couple of donuts. Believe me, this is where the mental effort comes into play.

4. Make your workouts fun

There are so many billions of workout plans; new ideas and classes you can take that can make going to the gym not feel like a drag.

5. Keep track of how much you drink

I use the rubber band trick, I put three rubber bands around my water bottle and as I drink an entire bottle- I take one off!

6. Progress photos

These keep me hella motivated because they keep you on track with where you started! The scale doesn’t always realistically depict where you’re at- numbers aren’t everything.

7. SLEEP

This is like the absolute key. Sacrifice that gym day if you’re going to end up feeling like a zombie all day. Sleep is a definite priority because it leads you to feel that much better.

As I go forward, my central objective is not counting pounds I’ve lost or track my calorie intake but rather to feel healthy again. To make a habit turn into my lifestyle.