5 Ways to Motivate Yourself

One of the hardest parts about making healthy changes in our lives is staying motivated. Today, I'm bringing you five different ways that you can help motivate yourself to stay on your path. I don't recommend using all five at once. Instead, pick one to focus on and add in or change to others as needed.

Each of these ideas is designed to be simple and easy to implement. Simply pick one that you think would work for you and try it out today!

Make a plan.
Have you ever heard the quote "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail"? (Apparently this quote is from Benjamin Franklin - I learned something new today!) Without a plan, you are essentially setting yourself up for failure. Therefore, this is an easy place to start when it comes to motivation. Pull out your calendar or planner and make a plan that you can sick to each and every day! Bonus tip: Take it a step further and create a healthy routine that will fit nicely into your day.


Find a buddy.
Accountability is a huge part of staying motivated. Seek out a buddy who is also working towards similar goals and see how you can hold each other accountable. Maybe it's a daily check in with each other or maybe it's going to the gym together. You decide what will work for you and your buddy! (Need help finding a buddy? Check out the Healthy Moments Facebook group!)


Reward yourself.
You may want to avoid the food rewards, but there are plenty of other ways you can reward yourself for meeting your goals. Set time sensitive goals for yourself and indulge in a reward when you meet each goal!


Try something new.
I find that I'm most excited when I'm first starting with a program. That's where this tip comes in! If you're struggling with your current program or plan, then maybe it's time to find a new one to try out. Need helping finding a new program? Get in touch with me and I'll help you find the perfect fit!


Share your progress.
Remember when I mentioned accountability earlier? Maybe a buddy would stress you out more than it would help you. In that case, you could start sharing your progress with others in one way or another. I personally like having a fitness Instagram to help hold me accountable. You could easily use another outlet for sharing your progress though!


Don't forget to sign up for the Monday Motivation newsletter if you're looking for even more ways to stay focused and motivated as you work towards your goals!

30 Ideas for Self Love

Since February is the "month of love," I thought I'd bring you a month's worth of self love ideas today! After all, you can never show yourself too much love!

Use this list to show yourself some love this month. Remember - not all of them will be the right fit for everyone!

1. Buy yourself flowers.

2. Take a bubble bath.

3. Enjoy a glass of wine.

4. Go for a walk.

5. Watch your favorite movie.

6. Read a book.

7. Color something.

8. Make yourself a cup of your favorite tea.

9. Enjoy your favorite workout.

10. Spend fifteen minutes journaling.

11. Go shopping. (Don't forget to budget!)

12. Clean the house.

13. Organize something.

14. Treat yourself to your favorite meal.

15. Write a love letter to yourself. Open it at another time.

16. Browse Pinterest and pin ideas for the future.

17. Get crafty.

18. Revive an abandoned hobby.

19. Create a collage for future motivation.

20. Get dressed up.

21. Do your hair and make up.

22. Enjoy some ice cream.

23. Eat dinner by candle light.

24. Enjoy an Epsom salt detox bath.

25. Take a nice long shower.

26. Spend some time cuddling your favorite human or furbaby.

27. Spend some time meditating.

28. Listen to your favorite podcast.

29. Put on your favorite playlist and dance around in your underwear.

30. Take a nap.

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Healthy Changes You Can Make Today

Healthy doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, it's something that you can include easily into your day to day life with just a few small changes. Today, I'm sharing a few simple changes you can make today to make your life just a little bit healthier.

Include vegetables at every meal.
Vegetables are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They help fill you up and they provide a lot of nutrients that your body needs to be healthy and happy. Make sure you're getting enough vegetables by including some in every meal of the day. My favorite way is to have a small salad with lunch and dinner.


Get up and move every hour.
Movement is an important part of being healthy and we often use the excuse of being too busy. Why not make sure you get up and move every hour of the day? Even five minutes here and there can add up! (Think about it - if you move for five minutes every hour of your 8 hour workday, that would be 40 minutes of movement just while you're at work!)


Get eight hours of sleep every night.
Sleep is an important part to a happy day. A tired person doesn't want to move and makes less healthy choices than a well-rested person. So, avoid making these choices by getting enough rested which helps your mind make better choices.


Create a daily walking routine.
This goes back to the importance of movement in your day. Walking is one of the easiest ways to move throughout the day. A solid routine helps you stay on track with getting that movement in.


Start each day with a green smoothie.
Green smoothies are healthy and easy to make. Simply pair greens, frozen fruit, greek yogurt, and a little almond milk to make a healthy morning treat or snack. Your smoothie will be packed with nutrients and you won't even notice the greens because of the fruit!


Drink 8 or more glasses of water everyday.
We've been taught since childhood that we should drink eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. There are varying opinions about the water we need, but it is important to meet our water goal each day. Staying hydrated helps your body and mind which leads to a healthy, happy you.


Make a healthy snack bin.
Often times, we make unhealthy choices because they are the easiest ones to make. Why not combat this by having a bin of healthy snacks available for grab and go?


Pack your lunch.
Packing your lunch helps you make healthy choices because you have to plan out your lunch in advance and think through the choices you're making. It will also save you money in the long run!


Plan out your meals in advance.
Just like packing your lunch makes you think through your choices, meal planning can also help you stay on track with your goals. Take a little time on the weekend to plan out your meals for the week to make sure they're nice and healthy.

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January Reflection

A major reason for this blog is to have a place to hold myself accountable with my health and fitness goals. As a result, I'll be setting goals each month and reflecting on them at the end of the month. The first reflection or two will have a slightly different focus due to the last trimester of pregnancy, but I'm focused on being consistent.

As I sit here and reflect on my "progress" in January, I've realized that I didn't really set goals other than launching this blog and starting to think about my health and fitness goals again. I have continued to remain active throughout the month and I've done my best with food. It's been an interesting battle of sorts since most days I don't even feel like eating anything.

With this being said, I wanted to focus this reflection on how I'm going to set goals in future months. Our baby boy hasn't been born yet so February will obviously look a bit different than other months but it all goes back to consistency. Each month, I'm going to set a goal in each of the following categories: nutrition, exercise, self care, and personal development. These are the areas that I typically consider important for a healthy individual. Remember, health is about more than a number on a scale or the foods you put into your body. Health is about the overall care you give to your body - outside and inside.

Let's go ahead and take a look at the goals I'm going to focus on in February. Keep in mind that our little one is due early in the month, so a lot of February will be focused on recovery and life as a new mother. As a result, I'm going to keep my goals quite simple.

Nutrition
Goal: Meet my water goal everyday.
Reason: I want to keep my goals simple and attainable. Meeting my daily water goal will help me stay hydrated, which is important for pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. It's also a good place to start.
Defining Success: 21/28 days with water goal met (75% of the time)
Accountability: I will add a water tracker to my planner and record my daily water intake on it.


Fitness
Goal: Stay active within reason - recovery is important.
Reason: I would like to stay as active as possible until the birth of our son. (Yes, sometimes this is just a few trips up and down our basement stairs.) After he is born, I'll be focusing on letting my body recover which will be a challenge in itself.
Defining Success: This one doesn't appear to have a quantifiable way to identify success.
Accountability: Reflecting on how I feel at the end of everyday.


Self Care
Goal: Apply lotion before bed everyday.
Reason: Winter has been causing my skin to be very dry. As a result, I've been trying to be more consistent with applying lotion each and every day.
Defining Success: 21/28 days (75%)
Accountability: Record in planner at the end of everyday.


Personal Development
Goal: Read and learn about newborns and breastfeeding.
Reason: Kind of obvious, right? I'm going to be a new mom and there are a few things I'll have to learn along the way.
Defining Success: This one doesn't appear to have a quantifiable way to identify success.
Accountability: Sharing my experiences and reflections on social media and my blogs.


What goals do you have for February? Were you successful with any of your January goals?

Psst...If you're interested in learning a little bit more about self love and how it can help you live a healthier, happier life, please join the Hodge Podge Moments community on Facebook for a great (free) self love event that will be taking place in February!

Love Your Pregnant Body

When I found out I was pregnant, the last thing on my mind was how I would handle the changes that would take place in my body. In fact, I've never had major body image problems so I thought pregnancy would be the same way. Turns out, I was quite wrong. Between the hormones and your ever changing shape, it's really easy to find things to hate about your pregnant body. In case you need a reminder (I sometimes do), there are many things to love about your pregnant body.

I've seen the memes and read the quotes about loving your pregnant and postpartum body, but it's a whole different ballpark when you're actually going through pregnancy and watching your body change daily. Yes, daily - stretch marks pop up overnight, new body aches appear, and you never know what's going to fit and what's not going to fit.

You're Growing Another Human
I want you to stop for a moment and think about what you're doing. Maybe you're eating a snack or listening to music while you read this post. No matter what you're doing, you're also growing another human when you're pregnant. Pregnancy is a full time job that you don't get to take a break from. It's also a rather remarkable job that not everyone gets to experience. When aches and restrictions are keeping you from your favorite activities, I want you to think about the little one growing inside of you and the nine extra months you get to bond with him or her before anyone else meets them.

Your Growing Body is Beautiful
There's a reason people enjoy seeing bump updates - they are a showcase of the transformation taking place inside of you. It's true that your body will never be the same as it was before but that doesn't mean it won't be beautiful. In fact, you may find that you have an entirely new beauty after your baby is born. We are typically our own worst critics. I learned this when I casually mentioned my stretch marks to my husband one day and he told me that he found them attractive. I wasn't looking for a compliment - he offered this one up all on his own. It honestly never occurred to me that my body might be attractive to him, but it makes sense - I am carrying his baby after all.

Some of the Changes are Temporary
Sure you're going to have lingering changes, but not all of them will linger. Eventually, you'll be holding a baby in your arms instead of on the inside. This will cause your body to change shape once again. Some of the changes may linger (like the stretch marks), but that doesn't mean all of them will. In fact, you may just find yourself missing a few of the changes in a couple of years (the increased bust...).

Treat Yourself Well
Sometimes we get down on ourselves because we forget to show ourselves some love. That's why it's important to practice self care when you're pregnant. In fact, I'd venture to say it's even more important because soon your attention is going to be focused on taking care of a little one. That being said, here's five quick ways to show yourself some love:

1. Shave your legs. It may take longer than it once it did, but clean shaven legs can make you feel a bit like yourself again.

2. Stay hydrated. Our bodies function best when they are getting enough water. I recommend finding a pretty water bottle to keep with you at all times. (Just be careful if it's glass...pregnancy can make you clumsy and dropping that bottle can get messy!)

3. Read a book. This one seems so simple but it's something that you might not have time for once your little one arrives. Take some time now to read a book that you love.

4. Sleep. Depending on the trimester, this is probably something you feel like doing all the time. (First and third trimester were my "sleepy" trimesters.) I know you're busy and you don't always feel like you can take time to simply sleep but sometimes you need to listen to your body.

5. Enjoy a favorite hobby. Take some time to enjoy your favorite hobby. Just like with the reading, you're going to have a little less time for this in the near future. (Don't worry - I've been told the baby stage doesn't last forever!) Why not take time during pregnancy to enjoy a little extra time on your hobby?


When it comes down to it, our bodies are going to change during pregnancy whether we like it or not. There's not really anything we can do to prevent it. In fact, a changing body means that a baby is growing inside of you which is ultimately what we want. Take some time to embrace the changes and realize that they are only a small fraction of who you are as a person.