It’s that time again when we write our list of New Year’s resolutions. And i bet my holiday-buffet-bloated-belly that it involves at least one #FitnessGoal. My list looks something like this — (#1) don’t buy the Conti’s Tiramisu cake  (#2) replace Jollibee Chicken Joy with home cooked baked chicken (#3) work out more…. (#100) basically to have a proper balance of exercise and healthy diet.

Making the list is easy. Keeping up with it though is the real challenge. Sometimes I just really need to have Tiramisu — which I did btw! I ate a whole cake by myself cos I missed Bentley too much… and i was PMS-ing (most common girl excuse ever used – amiright!?)!  Resolutions are easier said than done and here are the things i do to stay motivated to be fit and healthy all year long. Quick disclaimer I’m not an expert — just another girl who wants to be healthy.

It’s nice to have tons of reasons for this. You know, in case my “I want to live a long and healthy life” does not work today, I have the “I want to fit into a Kylie Jenner dress nicely and sexily” as backup. Or in my friend’s case, “I want my ex to feel regret” (#RevengeBody). My three major reasons are — (#1) I need to, I have a spine condition and a hormonal problem that I cope with by eating healthy, staying within my ideal body weight, and keeping my body and mind strong. (#2) I love clothes! I want to have the body that makes me enjoy wearing bodycon dresses, bikinis, and crop tops the most. (#3) I want to have more years with the people i love, and i want to set a good example for them.

Music passes time in cardio and it helps me focus on my work out. The gym can feel especially intimidating when I’m the only woman lifting lighter weights in the room. So I play Bruno Mars’ 24k Magic while doing awkward floor exercises to help zone me out of the anxiety. I also have a playlist filled with Victorias’s Secret Fashion Show runway songs cos it reminds me of the fit models. I like how throughout the years VS changed into a brand that promotes fitness and working out to get the body that you desire vs. starving yourself to lose weight.

You can’t just avoid the unhealthy foods that you’re used to, you have to replace it with better options. You need to research and find more foods and recipes that you like. For example, my diet change has always been a slow process — I went from always eating 1 pc chicken joy with white rice (and hating vegetables) — into replacing it with brown rice and chicken breast — then red rice (i stopped at red cos i hated black rice) and salmon — and now i rarely eat rice, replaced it with vegetables and salmon. I had to convince myself to give healthy-foods-i-dislike a try several times and allow my palette to adjust to the taste before I decide if i like the food and if I want to include it in my diet.

My gym “uniform” is basically yoga shorts (Victoria’s Secret makes the best figure flattering shorts ever!), a super supportive sports bra (also from VS) cos I have a big chest, nike sneakers, nike gym gloves, and a fitted white shirt (from Hanes). People at my gym probably think i wear the same damn shirt everyday, but I swear I have these in bulk lol! The first *reward* I ever bought myself was my pink iPod Mini that i use every time i work out. After that I bought more cute Victoria’s Secret gym clothes, lingerie, bikinis, and lately I’m into cute dresses that I only dreamed of wearing back when i was bigger in size. Also guys, wear fitted clothes when you work out. It could be uncomfortable at first but as soon as you get used to it, you’ll appreciate how it can show you and motivate you on your progress. It also acts like a nudge when i eat too much cake cos my belly would show up easily (I bloat easily from sugar and starch). In a way it tricks the mind that you want to adjust your body to fit in nicely into your fitted clothing.

Surround yourself with people and things that will motivate you to reach your goal. I have Candice Swanepoel’s bum and abs photos posted in my closet, so i can see it every morning (i sound like a pervy man lol!). I have motivational quotes in my bedroom. My dumbbell and yoga mats are displayed where my eyes could easily see them to remind me to use them. Invite a friend to be your gym buddy. Hire a trainer to guide you. Or if you don’t have easy access to these kind of people (like i sort of did when i first started – i had a trainer tho!), watch people online or read a fitness book. I follow girls on social media who achieved the body or lifestyle that i want to have cos it gives me an image of what i can be if I keep moving forward. Three social media queens that inspires me the most are CoCo LiLi, Carli Bybel, and Jen Selter. And guys can I just share my *kilig* moment when Jen Selter liked my fitness photo and followed me on twitter! She also dropped a compliment on my insta photo! Made me feel sexy by association lol! Kidding aside, it’s encouraging to be acknowledged by someone who inspires me.

I used to take progress photos of myself every week. I’m camera shy so this was hard and so awkward even if i was the only one who will see the photo. In the long run, it helped me accept and love my body. And at the same time also helped me appreciate my progress. I keep a food journal using the My Fitness Pal app — this is one of the best things I did. I lost tons of weight, and gained more knowledge on food and nutrition cos of it. I also have an Excel file of my body measurements throughout the year – with matching line graph pa! (#KINAREER ko talaga guys!)

I hope you find this helpful! One last thing tho in case you’re like me who can be very critical with my body. Don’t be too hard on yourself and be patient. Trust the process even when sometimes it feels like the progress is running slow. As long as you eat healthy and exercise, your body will keep on improving. Don’t rush it. Rushing usually cause more problem than help.

What helps you stay fit and motivated?

Happy New Year guys! To celebrate 2017 and my favorite fitness brand Victoria’s Secret, I’m hosting a giveaway by @GLITTERBOXPH (Instagram shop) that sells authentic VS products and other US brands in the Philippines. Get a chance to win P5000 worth of Victorias Secret products (Victoria’s Secret bikini set, 2 VS panties – one is from the 2016 fashion show, VS shimmer powder, VSPINK summer fit flops) by entering the Rafflecopter giveaway below! We included different VS items in different sizes to cater to all. This is open to Philippine residents and will run until Feb 27, 2017. Thanks in advance for joining!

a Rafflecopter giveaway