Motivation is hard to come by these days. I certainly didn’t always have it during my Total Gym journey. We all live very busy lives and it can be hard making time for yet one more thing fit into our daily schedule. It may seem completely impossible but if you really want to lose weight and be healthier you have to make room for YOU. Yes, I am talking about putting yourself on the top of your priority list.
I want to share with you where my motivation comes from. I bought my Total Gym hopeful that I would slim down. I had put on 25lbs during the time my dad was fighting stage 4 esophageal cancer. A tumor had shut off his ability to eat, so a feeding tube was necessary. When you take this ability away from a man who loved his food, the last thing I am going to do was eat in front of him. So, I ate fast food in my car all the time. My mother also has had her fair share of health issues, including broken bones from osteoporosis which has led into multiple surgeries. On top of that, I was homeschooling my daughter. This was a difficult and challenging time in my life to say the least. I was needed everywhere all at once. I’m sure you have heard the old saying, “When it rains, it pours.” That was how I felt. Losing my father to cancer, and then witnessing my mother suffer and struggle to walk over the years has made me realize that you get only one body and with that, only one life. I choose to do everything I can to better my chances, help my future self be a fighter of disease and be strong enough to be a blessing to my family when I am needed. That is my WHY. Ask yourself, “What is my WHY?”
Remind yourself daily why you bought your Total Gym and what you were hoping to achieve. Knowing we all have a WHY is important to focus on. It is what will drive you to stay motivated. If you’re like any of my friends, you may be getting ready to go on vacation, get married, want to wear a bikini for the first time ever, maybe go to your high school reunion, or just want to be healthier to be more of an active parent. Whatever it is, keep it in mind every day, because you are the only one holding yourself back. Set your goals right away. I started with 3 days a week, then 4, then 5 and 6. Raising levels and adding in more days will make a huge difference in your results. You can stay on track by writing down or logging your goals and plan into your phone.
When I first got my Total Gym, I set it up in the middle of the living room so I could see it and would be more likely to use it. If you have that option please do it! It really helped me to stick with the plan. It forced me to walk past it a million times a day and almost in judgement if I did not stop and workout. If you are fortunate enough to have a room you can dedicate to your Total Gym, I highly suggest you do! I call my spare room in the basement, “my happy space”. I took an unfinished room, laid down carpet, hung up some motivational pictures, a TV and added some colorful racks to showcase all my Total Gym attachments. Most importantly, my father’s leather motorcycle vest hangs on the door as a reminder that I need to keep fighting.
I had friends wanting to workout with me so I shared my Total Gym with them. We would take turns and cheer each other on. They both lost 15lbs in just a few weeks! Eventually, I had more and more friends wanting to test drive my Total Gym. So here we are today, lots of transformations, and 4 Total Gyms later! NO, you don’t have to be a crazy like me and buy another one but clearly, I am a true TOTAL GYM ADDICT! I just love helping others and it really pushes me to be my best to show them they can and they will succeed. I am known as the motivator by all my friends. This is an inherited gift from my father that I am very proud to have. I feel amazing and have so much more energy than ever. I will be 37 in a few weeks, and I am more active than I have been in years. I walk, jog, and ride bikes with my daughter. I am blessed to be able to share this all with my fellow Total Gym Addicts.
A few tips I have learned along the away…
What is your WHY?
This will help keep you training towards the goal.
Be consistent!
Commit to 5 days a week and schedule your workouts weekly. Decide what levels you need to be at and set your goals. Don’t beat yourself up, just keep trying.
Get your nutrition in check!
Pretend I am there slapping the crap food from your hands! Meal prep and plan your meals ahead on Sunday’s so you don’t have to think about it during the week. Shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store so you avoid fake foods and preservatives that are lurking in the center. Avoid sugars! Drink water and green tea. Use fitness apps to log your meals if needed.
Create a happy space!
Figure out where you can set your Total Gym up that will help you use it more.
Go shopping for new workout clothes!
Do whatever it takes to get you to be more motivated. You are more likely to follow through with your workout if you have the proper attire and feel good about what you are wearing!
Lay your clothes out the night before!
FYI this also goes for busy moms with little kids!
Set your alarm an hour earlier than normal!
Adios Mr. Snooze! Morning workouts are the best at staying on track because let’s face it, you never know how the rest of the day will go.
Surround yourself with positivity!
Join the Total Gym Addicts group on Facebook! Thousands of other Total Gym users that are a full support network of like-minded people who can understand your struggles, offer advice, inspirational stories, transformations, and tons of workouts! Also, follow me on Cassandra’s Total Fitness on Facebook and Instagram too!
Share your Total Gym!
Sometimes you just need someone real to suffer through it with you! My friends and I sweat together, laugh together, and celebrate success together. It is really my passion to help anyone wanting to better themselves. So, I encourage you to be a blessing to those in your life.
You already know what giving up looks like, so don’t you want to see what happens when you don’t? I am so grateful for Total Gym, Total Gym Addicts, my friends and family who have helped me stay motivated and to be able to share it with all of you. Keep pushing, results will happen. You are not alone!
Love ya’ll,
Cassandra Kurpiel
Total Gym Brand Ambassador
. https://www.facebook.com/cassandrastotalfitness/
