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i love doing Q&A's on my instagram, however i always get asked the same questions! I thought it would be a good idea to address all my most frequently asked questions on here to refer to next time! I don't want to ramble with an intro, so let's get straight to it!
1. How do you stay motivated?
this is BY FAR THE MOST frequently asked question I get, which is very valid, as staying motivated in your fitness journey is really difficult sometimes. sometimes you get bored of the same routine, or you get discouraged because you're not seeing progress as fast as you thought you would. It sucks sometimes, I know. Here are some ways that I stay on track with my journey!
- do workouts that I want to do! I always used to think that i could ONLY do cardio or ONLY lift, and I got so tired of doing the same thing everyday, as well as it stalled my progress. As I became more experienced, I learned that doing the workouts that you are in the mood for makes the whole journey 100x easier. Working out several days a week sounds like a drag, and sometimes it is, but you have to have fun with it! Now when i go to the gym, I see how I'm feeling. I know I'll either be training upper body or lower body, but then It's simply a matter of what I am in the mood for. Do I want to spin? Lift? Do some functional work? Do some Yoga? Focus on abs? Do HIIT? The possibilities are endless! There is no right or wrong way to workout, as long as you are moving your body, and having fun! (ALSO, extra tip, classes are a great way to be motivated and held accountable for working out! all you have to do is book the class and show up!)
- Train with a friend! holy moly guacamole, if you have trouble motivating yourself to workout, GO WITH A FRIEND AND THANK ME LATER. Whenever I train with a friend, they help me push myself way harder, as well as making the whole process way more enjoyable. You can chit chat, hype each other up, hold each other accountable, and my favourite -- GYM GOSSIP! Find a friend who's willing to hit the gym with you, go on a walk/run, or take some classes with you! you will be far more motivated to go, and you'll have a blast every time!
- make a FIRE playlist! working out without music? yeah, no. Make a bomb ass playlist (or if you're like me, make a ton for every occasion). Put your favourite songs to hype you up and get you GASSED to push yourself to your limit! I am guilty of busting a move at the gym, I have to admit.
- Document your progress! make little notes or videos of your progress! talk about things you like and don't like, or challenges and milestones, and look back on how far you have come. Making an instagram account, private story, or anything where you can post about/talk about your fitness journey to hold you accountable! It motivates you to far extents, and allows you to talk about your mindset with others!
- seek motivation online! there are TONS of social media outlets where you can find credible information, along with motivation to get up and train! There are videos, instagram accounts, or just look at my posts/captions for motivation! You will find everything you need online! (My favourite fitness influencers are : Stephanie Buttermore, Natalie Bally, Whitney Simmons, Jeff Nippard, and Natacha Oceane!)
2. How often do you train for / how long is each workout?
I train 5 days a week, and my workouts vary from 50 minutes - 1 1/2 hour! totally depends on the day, what I'm training, and who I'm with!
3. What's your favourite thing to train?
honestly, I love it all at this point. Lately, I've been obsessed with spin classes, and training legs! I love a good squat after all ;)
4. do you do cheat meals or cheat days? How do you not feel guilty after?
LOVE this question. First, I don't do either. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. STAY WITH ME! This took me a long time to get to. There was a lot of trial an error, and being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want and still maintain a healthy lifestyle takes a long time, my friends. I would say I eat about 80/20. 80% of the time I eat 'healthy' foods, while 20% is literally anything that I want. However, I have dabbled with cheat meals and cheat days in the past. I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS allow myself to eat absolutely anything on holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, my birthday, etc, because at the end of the day, memories and being happy are way more important to me than being 'skinny'. Finding whether cheat meals, days, or intuitive eating works best for you takes trial and error. I suggest trying all of them and seeing what you like the most. I personally find it hard to schedule cheat meals and days, and sometimes I randomly want a pizza or ice cream, so being able to just have it whenever is SO FREEING!
Now, to address the guilt. I spent WAY too much time worrying about food. Going to a restaurant to celebrate a birthday or milestone. I'd look at the menu and see something that I want so bad, however theres a lower calorie option, so of course, I'd go with the lower calorie option. BOOOOOO. That is so painful. You must change your mindset! FOOD IS FOOD. literally thats all it is. It isn't guilt, it isn't your enemy, it's literally food. It's energy. It's something you have when you're hungry, and not when you're full. thats it. EVERY FOOD IS GOOD FOOD. stop looking at food as black and white, good or bad. Every food is good. whether it's good for your muscles, heart, mind, or soul. If you want something, FREAKIN EAT IT. don't waste your life revolving your time and schedule around food. Eat what you want, when you want, while giving your body healthy foods to keep it functioning. everything in moderation!
5. how do you deal with anxiety and stay happy?
Sheesh. My anxiety used to be absolutely crippling. I don't know how I survived through that honestly. I am so much better now and I rarely deal with anxiety anymore, which I never thought I'd say. I have. a whole blog post on this, but here are some things that I did to help.
- workout! get that anxiety and sadness out. push yourself.
- surround yourself with genuinely good people, cut out the toxic people.
- do things that you love. I love to paint, sing, shower, sleep, play my ukulele/piano, and go out with friends! what do you love to do? do MORE OF IT!
- Cut down on the caffeine!!!
- Get enough sleep sissy
- Remind yourself that you are in charge of your thoughts, not your anxiety. (this helped me so much). if you want to stop worrying about something, remember that YOU are in charge of your brain and of your life. NOT your anxiety. keep telling yourself that, anytime you feel yourself start to worry again.
- Remember that you have one life. It's so short. It could end at any minute. Don't waste it worrying about that small thing that will mean nothing in a short period of time.
6. favourite exercise?
Deadlifts of any kind, or squats!
7. What time do you workout at?
I do it ASAP! On weekends, I sleep in, and when I get up I go make breakfast, and get my butt out the door! On school days, right after school, or if I have a spare period, I go then!
8. how long did it take you to see improvements?
At the beginning of my fitness journey, I saw physical progress after about 2-3 months. TAKE PROGRESS PICTURES!!!! i swear that is my number one tip of any tips i have. Now however, It's a lot easier to spot physical changes in my body because I know my body a lot more than i used to, and I'm training everyday in front of a lot of mirrors so it's easy to spot!
9. What is your favourite 'healthy' / 'unhealthy' food?
AGAIN! I hate the healthy and unhealthy mindset, but for the sake of the question, favourite healthy food would be either chicken, sweet potatoes, or oatmeal, unhealthy would be donuts or pizza!
10. best pre/post workout meals?
BEST PRE WORKOUT MEAL EVER is oatmeal with bananas. I promise you, you feel like Hercules after eating that. My favourite post workout meal is probably chicken either in a salad, with rice, or in a wrap! I just love chicken. ALWAYS eat protein after a workout!
Those are 10 of my most frequently asked questions! I'll definitely be doing a part 2 of this in the near future. This was so much fun! DM me on instagram @jeccafit if you have any questions you want me to address in the next FAQ blog post! LOVE YOU ALL! Wash your hands and stay safe out there luvs xx <3