Making Exercise a habit and reaching the balance

Hello everyone! Summer is here and that means shorts, tops, and swimsuits are back. We all want to look good no matter what time of the year it is, so we try to motivate ourselves into a workout routine.  In addition to that healthy diet always helps. I am not a trainer or nutritionist, besides I love French fries, croissants and chocolate (don’t even get me started on that), I just share what works for me hoping that it will help you as well. I can’t say I’ve always been skinny, especially living in the family where mom is a kitchen Goddess. It’s easy to put on weight if I forget about self-control. And while I started working out and changing my diet a couple of years ago, I came to a conclusion that BALANCE was the key. 

DIET. Did I stop eating sweets? Fries? Croissants? No. I just discovered that there is an actual limit.  Sometimes I also have one of those “no self-control” kind of days. I started with small changes in my diet that now make a difference. For example, whole wheat bread over white bread and brown sugar over regular one etc. In the meantime, I pushed myself to drink more water until I got used to it. I can go on and on and on. I also recommend you to investigate where your food comes from so your body gets the best. Don’t be afraid to make little steps toward healthier You — it’s always for your benefit! 

Little helpers: applications like “MyFitnessPal” will help to track your calories.  

WORKOUT. I do cardio, I dance, I hike and run.  Not because I am trying to lose weight, but because at this point I want to be strong. And, most importantly, it makes me happy. It also helps with stress and bad mood. All we have to do is have a good start: for example, I started working out to keep my hubby a company in the gym and I couldn’t believe how weak my body was. I have never wanted to be better than anyone, my competition is between “me” yesterday and today. I live in Austin now and I feel like everyone works out here, so it keeps me moving as well. Find that kind of exercise that makes you happy and that is it — you will work out because it’s fun and it’ll make you feel great about yourself.   

MOTIVATION. I want to be honest with you — if I don’t want to workout, there is no motivation in the world that will make me do it. BUT! I know that comfort zone will always be there for me. Once I said to a friend of mine (who is actually a marathon runner) that I don’t run outside, I just can’t do it. I can run in the gym, but not in the park. I used to really hate running outside – I found it to be the most boring thing in the world. Then my husband challenged me. And that was it — I pushed myself like never before and I was able to finish my first 5K run. So far so good. Challenge yourself! If there is no gym next to you – start running, biking, walking.   

Little helpers: nothing helps more when it comes to motivation and challenges than a sport watch. Ever since I bought Apple Watch and set my move goal, I became probably 50% more active than I used to be.   

When it comes to workout and healthy lifestyle, we all can use a little help or a good piece of advice. Today I want you to meet NASM certified personal trainer and marathon runner Liubov Lomonosova: from overweight, weak woman to fit, strong and positive human being.