The World of Tru
Oh Oh, I Want Some More!
5 Ways to Motivate Yourself to go to the Gym
You know what is the most common New Years resolution that people make? Hitting the gym, exercising, or losing that holiday weight. Seriously, people mobbed the gym because it took me forever to find parking. When I finally entered the gym, I noticed so many new faces. I wonder how many of these folks are going to fall off their plans in two months. Well it doesn’t have to be you. I have 5 motivational tips that you can do to improve your chances of beating those first few months and continuing your exercising habit.
#1 – Adding gym time into your schedule
Sometimes, it can be difficult to adjust to a schedule that you already have by adding another activity such as exercising into the mix. Sometimes there are some things that you may do that are a complete waste of time. Try to cut back on those things, such as playing video games, watching TV, or even stalking people on Facebook. Once you set a certain time when you will be heading to the gym, stick with it. You can even make it an excuse for not doing something, like having dinner with an annoying friend! Try to make it consistent so that after a few weeks, it becomes a habit to you and it will be more systematic in your daily life. If you are employed at a 9-5 job, it can be as easy as going to the gym before or after work every day. I usually go to the gym right after I get off work and one day a weekend. Even as a student, you can set a time for each day of the week for when you will go. For example, you have a class at 11:00 – 12:00 and a class at 3:00 – 5:00 every Monday, try to go in between that time, possibly 1:00 – 2:30 every Monday. Try to set a time that is reasonable for you.
#2 - Reaching a certain goal and keeping track
Try to set a goal for yourself that is reasonable. When I say reasonable, I mean start slow! Lets say that you just started going to the gym and started on your diet. Well, you probably won’t see instant results, but maybe about a few months you will. Forget about those advertisements that say that you can lose weight in 4 weeks, 6 weeks, or 8 weeks. Just give yourself a reasonable goal that you will probably be able to accomplish, such as losing 10lbs within 3 months. It all depends on how much you already weigh. As for me, I weighed 130lbs last year, and my goal was to get up to about 140 by May. I actually reached my goal plus another 15lbs. Make sure you keep track of your goals, whether it be losing weight, or how many miles you can run a day, or even how much weight you can bench.
[A Before and After Picture of me]
#3 - Taking before/after pictures
Taking a picture when you are just starting your exercise campaign and taking pictures monthly can easily show you what kind of results you are getting. Most of the time, you will see a difference between your before and after picture. This is great motivation for you because when you see results, you will want it more and more. You’ll work even harder to get to your goal so you can get there faster!
#4 - Have a workout buddy
This is a great motivational tip to have. Having a workout buddy can motivate you to go to the gym, your buddy will nag you to go, or at least he/she should everytime that you make up excuses not to go. Be a good buddy and do the same thing to them as well! It’s always a good idea to share your goals with your buddy, hopefully he/she will push you to reach it too! Another advantage to having a workout buddy is that you have a spotter for your workout session! Two birds with one stone!
#5 - Think about your next vacation
I’m sure that almost everyone would like to be as physically fit as possible when they are getting ready for their vacation in the Bahamas, chillin’ at the pool in Las Vegas, or wherever their vacation takes them. Visualize what you want to look like when you are shirtless or for the ladies, in your bikini. I sure wouldn’t want to look like the scrawny guy in the corner of the pool!
Anyways, these tips have helped me become motivated to go to the gym and I’m excited to get back into it for the New Year. I hope this helps for all of you as well!
New Years Resolution #2 – Learning Spanish
New Years Resolution #2
Mental
How many people actually have a New Years Resolution about learning a language? I haven’t heard of such a thing but that’s one of my resolutions for 2012. My goal for this year is to learn the Spanish language, all over again… Kinda… Back in grade school, I took Spanish classes, but I forgot much of it, since I barely even use it. One of my resources will probably be Rosetta Stone - I heard that it was a very supportive tool in learning new languages.
So why choose Spanish instead of any other language? Spanish is the second most spoken language in America according to the U.S. Census. It will be useful to me in my career and possibly in my personal life as far as traveling to different countries or even parts of America.
[Spanish spoken in the United States. Darker shades of blue indicate higher percentages of Spanish speakers]
Has anyone been able to learn a language on their own using tools such as Rosetta Stone? Let me know how it went for you.
New Years Resolution #1 – Physical Fitness
Physical
- Drink 2 ensures/boosts a day, one in the morning and one at night (~700 calories)
- Drink Mass XXX Protein Shake after going to the gym (~1,000 calories)
- Eat my regular 3 meals a day, any kind of food was good enough for me (~1,000 – 2,000 calories)
- Eat 2 Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches a day with milk (~800 calories)
A Recap of the 2011 Year
Happy New Years Eve everyone! I hope you all have some sort of exciting plan for tonight. Today is my girlfriend’s birthday, so I want to wish her a happy birthday! Last night, a group of us went to Cuba Libre in Olde City, Philadelphia for her birthday, and went to the clubs/bars out there. Plans for tonight? We will be going to Continental in Center City and then going to my friend Tony’s house for his NYE party that he decided to plan a few days ago.
[Chau and me in Olde City last night]
Before we continue, let’s rewind a bit and see how 2011 has been a fulfilling year for me. Here is a recap of my 2011.
- I started dating and am now in a serious relationship with my girlfriend.
- I graduated from Drexel University with a B.S.B.A. in Operations Management and Marketing.
- I became employed at my current company.
- I have gained extensive knowledge in my field of work.
- Physically, I achieved my goals of gaining 15lbs of muscle, pretty much.
- I traveled to Las Vegas for the first time.
- I traveled to Miami for the third time.
After taking a look at the events that have occurred, which I know there are a ton of other things that has happened that I can’t remember at the moment, there comes some despair.
- The repayment of my student loans, Drexel owned me.
- Black Friday… No, not the day after Thanksgiving. I am referring to the day that the spirit of every online poker player in America was crushed.
- The Arizona Cardinals were eliminated in the race to the playoffs. Yes, I am a Cardinals fan.
- Umm… I think that’s it?
Not too bad of a year right? There were only a few drawbacks this year. What can you do though, that’s life. I feel that I can be more eventful for the New Year. For 2012, I want to improve myself physically, mentally, and fiscally. Tomorrow I’ll take you through one, two, or even three New Years Resolutions that I want to accomplish by this time next year.
Blogging for the New Year
The New Year is just around the corner so I thought that it would be a great idea to start a blog. The blog will include many different topics from my life; goals, fitness, my live and online poker play, my entrepreneurial adventures, and other random events that may happen to me. Other topics will include reviews of current events, electronics, food, games, etc. Pretty much anything that I think may be interesting to you, the readers.
So what are the main purposes of me starting a blog? Well, I want to keep track of my progression throughout the next few years and then read through my previous posts and reminisce about the past. I want to share my opinions with you and I would like your opinions and thoughts as well.
So I think it’s about time that I formally introduce myself. My name Tru. I was born (March 20, 1988) and raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Carlisle is a very quiet suburban area, mostly known for their car shows. I am of Vietnamese descent, the youngest child of four. I have two brothers (Trung, 30 and Tri, 27) and a sister (Trang, 26).
[Tri, me, Trang, my mom, my dad, and Trung]
Although we are up to 7 years apart in age, we are probably the closest siblings that you will meet. I have a girlfriend and her name is Chau. She’s an amazing girlfriend and also my best friend. I live in Philadelphia with my brothers, my girlfriend, and some other friends at Tri’s house in Northeast Philadelphia. My brothers graduated from Drexel University and my sister graduated from the University of Sciences in Philadelphia (USP). I just recently graduated from Drexel University this June, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, concentrating in Operations Management and Marketing.
[Chau and me]
I enjoy many things in life. These hobbies include eating, drinking, sleeping, working out, playing poker, playing games, learning new things, and keeping up with current events. You’ll soon see how diverse I am! I’m still thinking of some New Years resolutions, which will include physical, mental, and fiscal goals. Stay tuned for daily posts!
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