I don’t know what it is about quotes that inspires people.
Just kidding! I’m an author, so of course I know. Duh.
Words have power. Quotes articulate what we already think, but maybe feel we can’t put into words as well. Wisdom gleaned from quotes is what illuminates that little invisible lightbulb over our heads. That little lightbulb is what inspires ideas. Ideas get us excited. Excitement produces motivation. Motivation is the first step towards discipline, and voilà! The next thing you know, you’re smashing your goals!
So let’s take a look at 20 quotes that are going to blow your mind and get you pumped to slaughter your health and fitness goals!:
1. You’re at your weakest point right now in this moment. You’re only going to get stronger from here.
Who said this one? Well…this might seem a little self-absorbed, but…me! This is one of the phrases I think of in those moments where my arms or legs are shaking and I think I couldn’t possibly do one more. Maybe I can’t do one more today. But because I met my goal for today, I’ll be stronger tomorrow.
2. Small steps are still progress.
Are they ever. We look at Victoria’s Secret models, Instagram models, fitness models, and think to ourselves, “I want to look like that!” only to get a reality check when we can barely lift a five pound weight more than once or twice. But you know what? Those models started out exactly where you are, and they built off of those one or two times they could lift that little weight. Being strong everyday isn’t your goal; getting up and trying is your goal.
3. Don’t think about what can happen in a month. Don’t think about what can happen in a year. Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you and do what you can to get closer to where you want to be. – Eric Thomas
This is so important. When building a house, no one lays the first brick and expects to be done. There’s still a lot of hard work to do; a lot. But! Instead of quitting, instead of seeing that house as an unattainable goal, you build off of what you did the day before. Before you know it, your dream home is built, and your goal is reached. It’s the same with getting healthy and fit.
4. Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate.
Exercise should be fun. Exercise should be something that relieves stress. Exercise shouldn’t be a chore. If it is, you’re doing it wrong.
5. Eat better, not less.
This one can be intimidating, but it’s very good news! You do not (and should not) have to starve yourself to lose weight. If you eat healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc.) you don’t have to count calories! In fact, if you’re eating the right foods, you can eat as much as you want.
6. Eating crappy food isn’t a reward. It’s a punishment. – Drew Carey
Listen to me, I’ve been where you’ve been. In many ways—in more ways than I wish I could admit—I’m still there. Crappy food tastes good. Correction: We think crappy food tastes good. We convince ourselves that we could never choose a salad over pizza, or pasta, or burgers and fries. The truth is, you can retrain your taste buds. You can break bad habits and implement good ones. That crappy food is a lie that is not benefiting your body. The good news is, you aren’t helpless or powerless against your cravings. It’s your choice.
7. Once you learn to fall in love with the process, you will feel happy no matter what the outcome is.
This one is awesome! When we view working out as a chore—and when we have unrealistic expectations—we tend to quit before our bodies even get the opportunity to show us what they’re capable of. Just as you can retrain your taste buds to prefer healthy foods, you can retrain your mind to appreciate the workout itself before you even see the results. The results will come, but valuing the process of earning them is what will give you a much more satisfying workout.
8. Once you start to see results, it becomes an addiction.
This one is so true. Just as I said above, when exercise isn’t a habit, we tend to quit before we even really get started. Commit to exercising and trying to make healthier eating choices until you see or feel at least one physical change. It won’t happen overnight. Depending on your starting health and fitness level, it could take weeks. And that’s totally normal and to be expected. Which leads into…
9. It took more than a day to put it on. It’ll take more than a day to take it off.
This is good news. This should be comforting. Keep this one like a broken record in your head. Put it up on your mirror, or on a wall in your room where you’ll see it everyday. If you don’t see or feel a huge, impressive difference in a week, or even two weeks, possibly even three, that is no excuse to quit. There are most definitely changes starting to snowball within your body, but it’s going to take time, effort, and consistency.
10. Any exercise is better than no exercise.
Having trouble staying consistent in your workouts? Why don’t you try building the habit and discipline first? No pressure there. Just do something. Stretches. Do a few push-ups, squats, planks. Look up lazy girl workouts on Pinterest (that was my go-to when I was just getting started on my own health and fitness journey!) Do workouts you can do lying down. Just focus on building the habit.
11. If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, you’re not really hungry. You’re just bored.
Have you ever felt like you were absolutely starving? So hungry you could eat a horse? In a situation like that, if someone offered you an apple, you’d gobble it up just to have something. This is one of those quotes that replays in my head every time I think to myself, “Am I really hungry right now? Or no?”
12. You don’t need diet pills, slimming drinks, weight loss gadgets…All you need are running shoes, a sports bra and determination.
I’m not necessarily knocking anyone who swears by the former. But how many of us put off getting fit and healthy because “we can’t afford it yet”? When you understand that you already have everything you need without spending a penny, you destroy one more excuse that’s preventing you from meeting your goals.
13. The fact that you aren’t where you want to be should be enough motivation.
We’re all guilty of saying at some point in time that we just aren’t motivated to eat better or exercise, only to turn around and lament our least favorite features in the mirror, or while picking out what to wear. So this is good news, too. Take this quote to heart, and it’ll be an ever-present source of motivation.
14. Athletes eat and train, they don’t diet and exercise.
Why? Because getting fit and healthy isn’t a chore to them. It’s a lifestyle choice. We can all learn something from this quote.
15. You don’t have to go fast. You just have to go.
I’ve heard so many people say they quit because they can’t keep up with a friend, or some perky professional fitness expert on TV. If you haven’t been working out regularly, it’s unreasonable to expect to match someone who’s been training for months or years longer than you. The only pace you have to keep up with is your own. You will improve, and soon, it’ll be someone else complaining because they can’t keep up with you…that is, if you keep going. The starting line is today.
16. Anyone can workout for an hour, but to control what goes on your plate the other 23 hours…that’s hard work.
The hard truth is (and believe me, I hate it as much as you do) no matter how epic your workout is, you won’t be able to see that six-pack if it’s hidden behind all those less than nutritious foods with which you’ve been punishing your body. Getting in the discipline to exercise on a regular basis is only half the battle.
17. Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going.
Anything else is an excuse.
18. The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.
This one goes along with #10. There are days I walk away from my workouts feeling like Wonderwoman, and there are days I walk away from my workouts feeling like Wonderwoman’s estranged cousin, Frail-and-decrepit-woman. This is where placing value on building the habit of a regular exercise routine above the exercise itself is important. On those days, I get satisfaction just in knowing I got up and tried.
19. I don’t want another girl’s body. I want my body, but leaner, stronger and healthier.
Back when I hated my body, I would look at so many fit women and wish I had a body like that. Now that I’m solid in this health and fitness journey of mine, I see those women and don’t envy them; I may rush to look up their secrets or eating habits/workout routines to see if I can learn something new, but I don’t think to myself, “I wish I had her body.” No, now I think, “How can I get my body to look like that? What should I be doing differently?” I love my body now, even though it’s nowhere near where I want it to be…yet.
20. Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.
Usually, it’s not your body that’s weak…it’s your mind. If you’re supposed to do 15 reps, do 15 reps. Do what you have to do and take the time you have to take to make that happen. If you’ve got to hold a stationary position (like a plank) or pulse (squats, for instance) for 30 seconds, then get it done. Don’t quit because it hurts, or because you’re shaking. Take a break if you need to, then hop right back in that saddle and finish it. Remember, you’re not allowed to stop unless you puke, faint, or die. 😉
I hope some of these quotes help you stay committed and disciplined as much as they’ve helped me. Apply them to your workout and healthy eating efforts, and you’ll be dominating your goals in no time. I know you can do it!
Which quote was your favorite? Which one do you think will serve you best to remember? Do you have another favorite quote that helps keep you motivated? Sound off below! I want to hear about it!
Burgers and Bells 