Here’s the scenario: You feel demotivated at work, in life and you are emotionally drained. You need to make a change before you head into a downward spiral of emotional eating or eating because you are bored. You go to your closet and grab a pair of jeans that fit snug like a bug in a rug just a week ago …. You put them on and ….. OH NO ….. you cannot seem to get the button in the hole.

You throw your pants on the floor, sit on the bed and sob crocodile tears …. Where has this weight come from – you actually feel nauseous looking at yourself in the mirror.

That’s it, you’ve had enough. Do research, ask friends or colleagues – you find a Personal Trainer in Abu Dhabi. You are motivated – determined to become a New You – you pay the money for the trainer and you are ecstatic to start.

The first week is grueling but you push through it – you are on a mission to become the New You – the best version of yourself ever.

The second week comes and goes and somewhere in the third week of your training regime with the Abu Dhabi Personal Trainer (who may I add, you love to hate and hate to love) you lost your focus – the drive in you has simply faded away and you slowly but surely start returning to your ‘old’ routine.

What has happened? You sit on the couch with a 5 pound tub of double chocolate fudge ice cream – feeling a bit like Bridget from Bridget Jones’ Diary …. Feeling distraught, confused, demotivated and like a complete failure.

Here are a few tips to either help you out of your current slump or to guide you on your future fitness journey

Too Much – Too Soon

You have gone from living a sedentary lifestyle and hardly doing any activity to training 5 days a week. You might want to slow things down – start with twice a week and gradually add a day every three weeks – that way you are not overwhelmed by all the exercise and pressure.

There is no need for you to try and become a professional bodybuilder in a matter of a few short weeks. Start by doing a few simple exercises like bodyweight squats, pushups, walking lunges, crunches – that way your body will slowly get used to exercising and it won’t feel like you’ve been hit by a truck the morning after an intense workout with or without your personal trainer.

Fuelling Your Body Correctly

I can still hear my mother saying ‘eat all the food on your plate, there are starving kids in Africa who would appreciate the food more’ …. Luckily you are now an adult and you can make your own eating decisions (high-five) – portion control is extremely important to losing weight. One thing mom was right about is that veggies are good for you, and the part that eating carrots can make you see in the dark is a bit far fetched.

If you are struggling to figure out what is good and what is not – the answer is simple: Google it. Luckily we live in a day and age where we no longer need to walk to the library and search for information for hours on end …. Nope – all you need to do is a little research. If you ask your trainer of any good website recommendations – I am sure he / she will be able to point you in the right direction. Please remember that eating healthy can still mean you can eat delicious food – no trying to swallow dry tuna and half choking when it gets stuck in your throat.

Small Changes

Make one small change every week. Example: week number 1: instead of drinking the litre of orange juice daily, drink one small glass. Week number 2: replace the orange juice with a cup of green tea OR if you are not a breakfast person, start each morning with eating a small tub of yoghurt – after a week or two, you will notice that you are waking up a little hungrier than usual.

Shopping (yes I said It …. Shopping):

Go buy yourself some new gym clothes, I can assure you it will boost your self-confidence and you will be feeling so amazing in your new gear.

Change your routine:

You don’t always have to train in a gym. The weather is absolutely lovely at the moment and there are many parks in the UAE where you can train outside with or without your trainer.

Don’t be afraid to ask your personal trainer questions:

Ask questions if you have them, don’t be afraid or think your trainer will think you are silly. It’s your trainers job to educate you and be your pillar of strength while you are on your fitness journey.