Let’s be honest — there were days I didn’t feel like moving at all. Sometimes I woke up tired, with zero motivation. But I created a small rule for myself: “Just do 5 minutes, then decide.” Every time I told myself this, I ended up finishing the entire 15-minute routine because starting was the hardest part. Once you start, your energy picks up naturally.
One thing that helped me was putting on music. I had a quick workout playlist with songs that boosted my mood. Even if I was feeling down, that first beat made me move my feet and get into the workout flow.
Adding Light Weights When You’re Ready
After two weeks of daily 15-minute workouts, I wanted to challenge myself a little more. I bought two small dumbbells (only 2 kg each) and started holding them during squats and lunges. It wasn’t heavy lifting, but adding that extra resistance made my muscles work harder. If you don’t have dumbbells, you can easily use water bottles or bags of rice as weights.
Here’s a quick idea:
- During squats, hold a water bottle in each hand at your shoulders.
- During lunges, hold them down by your sides to add extra challenge.
- During shoulder presses, use the bottles and push up to the ceiling slowly.
This small addition helped tone my arms and shoulders while still focusing on burning calories.
My Personal Morning Routine (That Kept Me Focused All Day)
Besides the 15-minute workout, I created a mini morning ritual to set my mindset right. It looked like this:
- Wake up and drink water with lemon. This woke up my system and rehydrated my body after sleep.
- Write down 3 things I was grateful for. Even small things like “my comfy bed” or “the sun today.” This kept my mental health strong.
- Do my 15-minute workout.
That’s it. This simple flow took only 20 minutes total but made my mornings powerful and my entire day more productive and positive.
Remember: No Excuses
I know you’re busy. I was too. But here’s the truth — everyone has 15 minutes. You can do it:
✅ Before your morning shower
✅ During your lunch break
✅ While dinner is cooking
✅ Before bed to relax your body
There is no “perfect time.” The best time is the time you actually do it.
Stay Consistent, Stay Real
Don’t chase perfection. Don’t think you need to do everything right from day one. The most important thing is showing up daily, even if it’s messy. Your body doesn’t care if your squats aren’t perfect or your plank is only 20 seconds today. What matters is that you moved and challenged yourself.
That’s how I lost weight, felt confident in my clothes again, and built a routine I actually enjoyed instead of hated.
For Those Who Go to the Gym
Now, if you’re someone who actually goes to the gym, you can adjust this routine easily. What worked for me back when I had a gym membership was simply running on the treadmill for a good amount of time each session. You don’t have to run every single day — even doing it every other day works perfectly fine.
But here’s something important I learned from my fasting journey: watch your carb intake. Especially if you’re doing intermittent fasting, eating a lot of carbs can slow down your fat loss progress. Why? Because when you work out, your body looks for energy. If you’ve eaten a ton of carbs, it’ll use that instead of burning your stored fat.
When I kept my carbs under control and focused on protein, healthy fats, and vegetables, my workouts felt more effective. I could literally feel my body using my fat stores as energy, especially when training in a fasted state. That’s when I started seeing real results around my belly and waist.