Life has a funny way of showing us who's boss. Sometimes a painful break up happens, a loved one dies, we lose our job, you change your major, stress and anxiety show up knocking at the front door the list goes on and on. Sometimes you'll feel like someone's pulled what felt like a solid, non-slip rug, from under our feet so you start to lose all of your motivation to workout and to eat healthy. There are plenty of reasons why we lose motivation like I said above but the biggest one being laziness. If you don't have the desire and the interest to do so then simply you won't do it right? When things get overwhelming your body loses sight of the desire and doesn't want to do anything except to eat ice cream and watch Netflix for 10 hours straight (which I've done) Who doesn't love ice cream and to binge-watch their favorite TV series on a Friday night? But there comes a time when you need to fight those temptations and stay motivated to achieve your goals.

Life gets in the way and it knocks you to the ground. It will take you down paths you never thought you'd go (trust me I know). You'll get off track with your healthy habits. You'll eat one thing of "junk" food than say "mind as well just keep eating these donuts." You skip the gym for a day, then it turns into a week or maybe even months (btw It's ok to take time off and to eat sweets but know moderation and balance). But when you say "tomorrow I'll start eating healthy again, tomorrow I'll go to the gym" when tomorrow comes do you really go or do you say it again "tomorrow?"

Honestly the hardest part isn't even exercising. The hardest part is all in your mind. You have to make a commitment (ahh the word you're afraid of) to YOURSELF. Stop listening to that voice in your head that is giving you all those random excuses to not workout or to choose healthier options. Stop saying you "don't have time" yes you do. Make the time. I'm a 21-year-old full-time college student working two jobs going to class from 8am-8pm two days a week while working every other day but I still make the time to make healthy choices and to exercise. Is it easy? No way. But let's be honest what in life is ever easy? You need to make the commitment to say YES when your mind wants to say no. Commit yourself for YOURSELF.

So what do we have to do to get back on track AND keep that motivation? Here's what worked for me over the past year.

I've come to recognize that there will be highs and lows over time. There will be times when I just want to throw in the towel and give up. There will be slumps where I'll feel like jumping off a moving train because it feels like too much work to stay on it. What matters more is that no matter what I get back on that train after I've jumped off it. Every time I fall down I get back up. Haven't you heard "fall seven times, stand up eight."

I re-connect with my "why" When I am struggling with moving forward or when I slide backwards with my healthy eating habits or workouts, what gets me going is to ask myself "why?" Why this is the way I want to live my life? why I enjoy eating healthy? and why I enjoy working out? Why I love seeing the results that I see over time so much. For example: When I have a late night craving for donuts and ice cream I dig deep back into the past when I would eat so poorly and I'll remember how it made me feel, I remember the reasons that got me to stop that destructive behavior in the first place. I look at myself then and myself now. Even just by pictures I look healthier but most importantly feel healthier inside and out now then I have ever felt before by simply changing my eating habits as well as my mindset.

The worst thing that you can do when you're feeling unmotivated is spend that time over-thinking and over-analyzing things. YOU need to get up and take action. Chances are high that just the simple act of "doing" will help you regain all of the momentum and motivation that you've been searching for. Read a motivational book, take a walk in nature, wake up early and watch the sunrise, or go watch the sunset. Reconnect with yourself.

Don't ever let giving up be an option. It's OK to take a step back and give yourself a break. To let go of all the tough expectations that you put on yourself. Sometimes you do need a "mental health" break from working out and eating healthy just don't let it become a habit. Once you gain that strength back that you feel "OK" again (which you will) get back to it. Please remember that the healthy goals that you set for yourself are for YOURSELF not anyone else.

I hope that something that I said above will help at least one person who is struggling to find the motivation to eat healthy or workout again or even to began because I know and understand what it feels like to be in that position so don't think that you're alone.