Well Happy Sunday everyone! So what are you doing? Are you sitting at home in front of the tv relaxing trying to unwind from the week you had? Or are you outside walking in the sun, playing in your garden, or having a BBQ with friends? Are you thinking oh I will start tomorrow again on my diet and exercise? I just want to relax.
I can honestly tell you that I am usually the one who is sitting watching tv, or my favorite addiction, my computer lol. The line I tell myself is that I need a day of rest to regroup and get focused again. Well I can no longer accept that way of thinking. Because when Monday comes, I'm too busy, or tired, just don't feel like it, or just don't care to (the worst of them all!) All of these are excuses I tell myself. But I have to realize that they are just that excuses! I always have time to answer a text on my phone, post something on Facebook, watch a tv show, or just veg out!! It's where your priorities lie. And as the weather gets warmer, it usually means not wanting to go outside when it's 100 degrees, but stay in the house at a chilly 68 degrees. But all that does is allow my butt to get bigger and my self esteem sink lower.
I know it's hard to keep motivated, believe me I know. Especially if you are doing this on your own. Well I am here to tell you that there are ways if you push yourself to experience them. A couple of my favorites are my CD's of people who have lost weight from my 6 Week Body Make Over set, and watching a new show on ABC called Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. Yes I bought all of these diet and exercise things to help me loose weight in the past, why not use them for your benefit! I take what worked for me from each thing like I like the exercises and motivational CD's of the 6 Week Body Make Over set, the exercises from Exercise Ball for Dummies, the food regime from my weight loss surgery binder for the Lap Band etc. It's all about making it work for you, what makes it fun and enticing for you! Now I know I just told you to get off your but and not watch tv. So get off your butt and dance in place while you're watching or simply walk in place. I personally ride my stationary bike. Watching while exercising makes it that much more tolerable You know that old spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down.
I will be honest with you. I am very competitive and a bit of a perfectionist. Which sometimes makes watching these shows and listening to these CDs hard to do. My head says I can do that and I've done harder than that. Why didn't it work for me. Well duh...I didn't stick with it through the whole thing. Isn't that usually the way it goes. You do great for awhile but then you plateau, family troubles, financial troubles, or you just burn out. Then you never really get back into it. That is the time, you need to switch it up and stop what you are doing and change it till it's fun again. I have fallen victim many times to the frustration of those excuses so here I sit almost 3 years after surgery only 68 pounds lighter than BEFORE my surgery!! Now if that isn't motivational I don't know what is....well it's usually not enough for me. I have let myself settle for so long not caring or wanting anything from life. Well it's time I smack my self either in the face or the butt!
So that is what I've done. That is why I am pushing so hard to stay focused and maintain this new thrive for life and a new healthier me! I know some of you may look at me and think wow I wish I had her positive attitude and drive. Let me tell you. It is a struggle every day!!!! It's not until I really get into a routine and really start seeing results that it becomes easier for me. I don't just wake up and nearly pee my pants with excitement to get to the gym. It's a push. But I push because this is something I want. If you have followed my BLOG for any length of time you will see many many many posts about starting over again, getting going again, really ready to do it this time. I am not so unlike all of you. I just get moments of drive and usually act upon them but I am human...I falter and have to start again. But I DO start again!!! Each time learning something new about myself what I like don't like, what worked, what didn't. It took me many years to put all of this on even if it was mindlessly done, it was done. I must now be mindful to get it off.
There are so many things out there to help you and most of them are free! Just takes time to find them. I try and bring them here to you but what works for me may not work for you. Try not watching that tv show for one night and take an hour to search the web and see what you can find. But always believe in yourself (even though that's harder for me than losing the weight).
I have just logged into Reshape The Nation, which is the guy from the show Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. He has meal plans, exercise routines, chat rooms, videos, and much more. And he works with extreme obese people. Now granted these shows all have something that most of us don't have and that is time to do all of these things. For example....I don't have the time or gas money to spend 4-5 hours at the gym. So I make do with what I have here at home and get to the gym as often as I can.
It's in all of us to do this. I know I can do it (at least deep down I know I can still talking myself into it :o]) So give it a try.
