I’ve been inspired, y’all. This week marks the first of many, I hope, training with new-to-town RPT Dallas*, a spinoff of Royal Personal Training in Beverly Hills. All that probably means nothing to you, but this could: Dylan Clark, the owner and the cool guy who brought fitness knowledge aplenty to Dallas, just trained and toured with The Weeknd before planting himself here. I’m, like, majorly star-struck by anything remotely Hollywood, and I have been known to binge-listen to The Weeknd’s smooth melodies entire days at work, so this was a big deal to me.

Dylan has also worked with Gigi and Bella Hadid, AKA stunning supermodels whom I’m insanely jealous of, and Joanna Krupa, another scary-gorgeous model who’s also on “The Real Housewives of Miami” (anyone who knows me well knows about my embarrassing obsession with the “Real Housewives” franchise), among other known names. So, all that to say: I was extremely flattered when he reached out to me for training, and was excited slash nervous knowing I’d get my butt kicked. (Check back in a couple months to see if I’m looking like Gigi yet.)

But back to the whole being inspired thing. After shaking up my normal workout routine this week, I realize now what a rut I’d been in for a long time. I thought that because I workout several days a week, I was set. I would run for 30 minutes or so and stretch some days; others, I’d do 45-minute weights workouts. I’d mix up that routine weekly, but sometimes when I felt lazy or underwhelmed about the gym, I’d skip it. And then I’d skip it again. Add in more cheat meals than healthy ones (I started slipping on tracking my meals during the holidays); all this led to said rut. Actually, it was probably more of a full-blown health slump. I didn’t necessarily feel sluggish or like I’m wildly unhealthy, but I didn’t feel good every day either.

Obviously, the first step in getting over any issue is realizing there is one. I was lucky to have been approached by a fitness professional new to the area and looking for clients. Without that I would’ve kept on my merry way working out mediocrely and eating whatever I wanted. A few questions I wish I would’ve asked myself months ago are: do you feel like the healthiest version of yourself? Do you wake up anticipating leading a healthful day or dreading it? Do you have problem areas you’re ignoring rather than actively working on?

The answers would have been: no. Dreading it. Thighs, shoulders, stomach, and, yes, I’m ignoring them by doing my same monotonous routine. I do want to be clear that I am not self-conscious about much, if anything, but I spout that I love and want to always continue living a healthy life. When your words and your actions misalign, changes need to happen. Everyone deserves to be their healthiest self, and if you’re working on getting there like I am, test-run a few of these ideas to get there even faster.

Recognize your favorites and monitor them. Food is my true love, but unfortunately abs are made in the kitchen, so they say. My guilty pleasures are cheese, carbs (all), Tex-Mex, ice cream, and well, pretty much anything sweet. Chocolate especially. But I can’t eat all of those every day and feel good about it (though I have, I’m sure). Indulge in one favorite some days and none on others, and you’ll probably already be cutting way back.

Try something new. Like I said, this personal training stuff is my new jam. I’m sore and tired after 5:30 a.m. workouts, but the challenge of a new routine has me going back for more. Whether it’s a hot yoga class or boot camp in the park, put yourself out there for a new fitness experience, and then stick with it for a while until you feel another itch to switch things up.

Realize your limitations. I could never do Crossfit, not because I’m not athletic, but because the motions coupled with heavier weights would be too jarring for my back and knees. If you only have 25 minutes to workout a day, find a series that utilizes that time. It is important to know what your no-nos are so that you can personalize your own fitness experience with what does work for you.

Drag a friend in to it. Things are always better with a friend. When I was more regular about using My Fitness Pal, an app that tracks your meals and exercise, I loved that John tracked his stuff with me. We could encourage each other and know someone else was on the health-wagon with each of us. Same concept goes for committing to a certain workout regimen with a pal, too.

Stop the justifications and do it. When I wake up at 5 for an early morning workout, my first thought, like clockwork every time, is, I can just workout after work tonight and sleep another hour now. What usually happens when I succumb to that suggestion is that I don’t workout at all that day. I know I’m more active in the morning and my productivity drains throughout the day, but I still get caught in the excuse-trap sometimes. If you tell yourself you’ll do it, and plan to do it, then you should probably do it. Tell your lethargic side to hush.

*If you live in the area and are interested in learning more about a personalized fitness program at RPT Dallas, fill out this form!