I often get asked how to stay motivated to succeed in weight loss. I wish I had some perfect answer, or that I could simply bottle it and give out samples... but the reality is.. I CANNOT MOTIVATE OTHERS. We all have different things that drive us. Different things that keep us going. Different reasons why we want to succeed. I am no exception to this. I must find motivation on days I want to give up. I HAVE to drag my butt to the gym some days. I make nutritional bloopers. I have PMS and chocolate cravings and some days I'm a wreck.
Life is hard.
When people ask me for help, I ask them to make 2 lists. One - of all the reasons they want to succeed and one - of all of the obstacles standing in their way. (You would be surprised how many people NEVER bother making these lists when they realize I have no quick fix.)
And so, for your viewing pleasure.... my NEW lists:
Why I Want to Succeed:
1. To prove it can be done. I have done so well in the past at losing, I figured out maintaining for about a year... but when life got harder... I sort of lost it. Must pull it together again.
2. To fit [comfortably] into all the cute jeans I was wearing this time last year.
3. To be a role model. This is where I would have said, to be around for my kids longer etc... etc... but my focus HAS to change from this. My 60 year old, incredibly health conscious mother in law has pancreatic cancer and will most likely be gone before spring.... I used to believe that healthy lifestyles = long lives, but it simply isn't true. This will be my biggest obstacle. It is incredibly hard mentally for me to work SO hard knowing that all my hard work could be in vein. MUST find a new focus as my 383rd birthday is simply not a guarantee.
4. To NOT be a hypocrite. I know that's probably lame... but I don't want to have to eat all these pretty words I've been typing for 2 years. I know it's possible... so damn it, I'm going to stick to it.
5. To fit into the scrubs I bought for school that are too tight to wear in public. (I start school in 2 weeks and seriously, I bought one pair of scrubs that shouldn't be too tight but are!) BOO!!
6. To continue to inspire others to dig in and find their motivation.
7. To keep that WOW factor. (I can't help but love the "I can't believe you have 4 kids, you are so tiny" comments.
8. To feel good about me. Exercise and eating right make me feel euphoric. Don't want to lose it.
9. To live life without becoming complacent. I do not want to be the person who gives up on what I really want because I fall into the "good enoughs." NO NO NO!!!
10. To be HEALTHY!! That's right boys and girls.. even though there are no guarantees in quantity of life, I can surely guarantee myself QUALITY of life.
My Obstacles:
1. My 4 kiddos. I don't want to sacrifice time with my children. I used to believe I was buying myself time, it was a fair trade. Now, I realize that there is no guarantee that I'm buying time so...
2. School. I start nursing school in 2 weeks!
3. Money. Eating right isn't cheap.
5. Pancreatic cancer. My mom-in-laws diagnois of this disease has destroyed a lot of my drive. Some days, I wonder why I should even bother with all this hard work? Why should I skip out on overindulgence? Why bother exercising? Because none of that seems to matter to pancreatic cancer. I don't want to die. And this disease has been a huge reminder to me that life is not guaranteed. And it pretty much pisses me off.
6. My husband. My husband has always been my biggest hurdle. He scowls at me when I cook myself healthy food. He makes snotty comments when I go to the gym. He openly voices his annoyance when I spend money on food for myself because ultimately he refuses to eat the way I do. He even mentioned to me yesterday that he has "no faith in me." As he rolled his eyes at my mention of potty training my 2 year old. Sometimes I think he WANTS ME to feel like crap. That he prefers a less confidant me. He is my sabotage. He is the one obstacle that I seem to always let defeat me. I have spent 2 years trying to find a balance only to discover that he is only happy when I don't do for me.
Reality check: My list of obstacles is my list of excuses. In the past I've checked these off the list, one by one... and now... I must figure out how to do it all over again. Everything is different now. I am different now. I have come to realize that there are no guarantees in life, something I used to be sort of, blind to. I have used my love for life as a motivating factor to DO... and now, I've got to find a whole new reason to succeed.
Anyone out there reading, I would love to know....
WHAT DRIVES YOU???
And in case you were interested, here is MY LIST of reasons from day one of this blogging adventure!
And in case you were interested, here is MY LIST of reasons from day one of this blogging adventure!
5 comments:
My life has been pretty easy compared to many. No major illnesses, or losses, any job loss was quickly replaced with something better, no complications getting pregnant or giving birth, the list goes on and on. I've had people tell me that because my life has been so easy I haven't had to really work hard for anything, that most things just kind of get handed to me... except weight loss. I have to work hard for it after my 5 babies and I want to prove that I can do it, that I can follow through with something and work hard for it and ultimately achieve my goal. That's how it was with my marathon. That's what kept me going. (and of course it doesn't hurt to be shrinking in the process).
What drives me.. Having you as a role model! I am if my back allows me to doing my first 5k friday. I have been doing interval training and been doing that for 2-2.5 miles 3x a week. As well as swimming~ Im trying to match your 400 yd time! I am at 10min doing backstroke and working on learning free style. Wanting to be at a healthy weight drives me, seeing my cellulite dissappear drives me! Seeing what my mom did, losing over 50+ pounds and keeping it off! Training to do my first triathalon this summer with my aunt! I have tons of drivers, what is inhibiting me are school and work and boyfriend. I get up to work out at 530, but can only fit in 30 min a day, not the full 60 at once. I NEED to start doing 60 min so I can loose the weight! BUT I am able to keep up with my goals because of you and how you have helped me! That's how I know you will lose your weight too! Cuz you have the drive and you want to show people like me that it is possible!
WHY I WANT TO SUCCEED:
1-I want to be at my pre-ethan weight to prove I can
2-Because I have a hard time accepting the “you just get heavier as you get older” thought
3-I want to be the hot mom that everyone one says WOW you have how many kids?
4-I remember a time when I could look in the mirror and love what I saw from head to toe
5-Because I want to run another half marathon and then a full marathon and it is harder to do with 20-30 extra pounds
6-Because I have always wanted to have sexy muscles and I know I can
7-Because I do not like being the fat sister
8-Because I have been trying so hard and If I don’t then everyone will see I failed
9-Because I want to be able to keep up with my boys as they get older
10-Because I WANT to be healthy.
MY OBSTACLES:
1-sweets, if there is a sweet in the house, more than likely I will eat it
2-doubt. The 2 steps forward 1 step back. I have a great week and then the next week sucks and it is hard to stay motivated
3-because I have been going at this for 3 years no and even heavier than when I started and it is hard to keep going
4-because I haven’t found something that work continuously NOW. Running and eating right worked before kids, but it isn’t working so well now
5-being tired. I have 2 kids and one is a 7 month old who still doesn’t sleep through the night. We are happy is we get a 4 hour stretch. I am working on this, but it leaves a tired mommy.
6-Being tired makes me want sugar, cause it helps me keep going!!!
What's driving me right now? Self confidence. I have NEVER had it. Even in high school and college in my prime days I was ALWAYS wishing I was thinner. Myself is my biggest obstacle. Once I get past that, this world better watch out cuz I'm comin through!!! I'm gna make my list on my blog!!
I'm working on my lists now, because I've never done this before! Going to be posting them on my blog this evening or tomorrow morning. Thanks for sharing these with us, I think this is an awesome thing to examine and use to re-focus my energies in a better direction!
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