Do you ever wonder why you make the dreaded promise to start going to the gym and two weeks later you find yourself back at square one? Wait—don’t feel bad! It happens to ALL of us; after all we’re only human!

On a scale of “gym rat” to “couch potato,” where are you on the spectrum? Now there is no wrong answer here, but if you want to be closer to the first option, there are a few things that can be done to motivate you.

Now I’m not quite the gym rat, but I enjoy going to the gym. For me, going to the gym means I can release some stress, see results, and kill some time. Before I started going to the gym, I was 183 pounds, and now I am down to 145.

Here are some tips and tricks that have helped me get to the gym, and continue to go back.

Get Gym Ready!

This is a very simple tip, yet it is one of the most important. When you go to the gym you want to feel good about yourself, no matter what size you’re at. That means you should find work out clothes that are flattering to your body and make you feel good about working out.

Don’t just go in with an oversized t-shirt and boxy shorts. Pick out gym clothes with your favorite colors, or some that have cool sayings on them. You have to project how you feel; by doing this I can guarantee you’re more likely to not only go to the gym, but feel good about going. In doing so, your chances of going back are more likely.

Set Realistic Goals

I want to lose 30 pounds in three weeks!

I’m going to go to the gym every day!

I’m going to start out with using 30 pound weights when working out!

Now all of these things are not impossible, they’re just not really realistic, especially if you’re just now starting at the gym. You want to set goals that are achievable, and once you get to that point, then you can set goals at a higher standard.

When I first started using weights, I started at 15 pounds. After a couple weeks I started to notice that they became easier to hold, so I upped the weights to 20 pounds. Presently, I can lift about 35 while doing squats. I would have never gotten to this point had I not set realistic goals for myself.

My friend used to say that she wanted to go to the gym 5 days out of the week. When I would talk to her she’d be upset because realized it was stressful trying to juggle work, school, and other life responsibilities.

The answer is to set realistic goals. Maybe 5 days a week is a little tough, but 3 days could be easier and a more achievable goal to work towards. Like I said before, everyone has a different situation, but you want to set goals that are accustomed to your lifestyle.

No Obsessing Over the Scale

Sometimes it can be a little upsetting when we don’t see results right away. You keep checking the scale every few days to see if you’ve dropped a pound or two.

Over checking the scale can actually do more harm than good. Make sure you never over obsess over the scale. One way I like to make sure I don’t do this is to not have a scale accessible at home. This way, I can’t keep going back to the scale, even if I wanted to. Most gyms have a scale, so make sure to use it sparsely, maybe once every two weeks or ten days. It can be hard not to look more often, but it’s worth it. After a longer amount of time the results you’ve worked so hard to see will be shown. Trust me, you’ll be happier in the long run.

Think Ahead

At last! One of my favorite tips. Go to any inexpensive clothing store (ex: Dots, Rainbow, even Walmart) and pick out something cute that you’d love to see yourself in. Now here’s the important part; make sure that what you pick out is a couple sizes too small. Buy it, take it home, and put it in the back of your drawer or closet, and forget about it.

When you find it, you’re more than likely going to be a few pounds lighter. Even if it doesn’t quite fit after you find it in a few weeks, you’ve still made progress. There’s no way you would have been able to wear it the day you bought it.

If you try it on and you still don’t fit comfortably, do the same thing after you try it on. When you stumble upon it after a month or so, you’ll be shocked at what you see in the mirror when you try it on again. If that doesn’t motivate you to stay in the gym I don’t know what will!

All of these tips have helped me and motived me to stay at the gym. I pass them on to you guys in hopes that they will do the same for you. Please comment below if you have some other tips that have helped you stay at the gym. You never know if you can inspire others with your ideas! I sure hope that I do.