Motivation For Getting Fit.

So lately, I've been binge watching The Biggest Loser. I feel like it's more productive than watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Besides, I haven't quiet reached that level of self control yet. I used to watch it while I worked out, but now, if I did, I'm afraid I'd eat the entire kitchen. Literally, counter tops and all. 
Anyway, in the Biggest Loser, they talk a lot about what their motivation is. For a lot of them it's their kids. Some of them it's health reasons. And some just don't like where they are in life and want to go some where else. (I think the $250,000 prize helps a little bit too.)
Anyway, it got me thinking why am I doing this?  Mostly, because I can't fit into my pants anymore, and I've been relegated to my skirts. Another thing is, I didn't like what I saw in my videos. I know other people may not notice things, but we're our own worst critic. I would watch my make up videos and just have this entire dissatisfaction with how I looked. The same for a lot of pictures. 
Another reason, I want to feel good about myself. I know people freak out when people are down on themselves. It's not always that. Sometimes, we're not satisfied with how we are. It's never a bad thing to get healthy. 
At work, my co-workers are all trying to loose weight. Some of them are doing crazy diets. (I commend them for staying with them. I can't diet. I get mean and then I binge eat--everything.) Others joined gyms. Again, not my shtick. I count my calories, loosely albeit, but I try none the less. I've found I enjoy getting up and working out in the morning before work. Mostly because it wakes me up in the morning, and encourages me to be more ready for the day. 
So I figured, I'd remind everyone to look at their motivation. On those days when you say no I don't want to. It's too hard, just remember your motivation.  It doesn't have to be the most important thing in the world either. For example, I used to work out because I wanted to be hot enough to be in a PitBull video. Noble motivation. Not really, but a motivation none the less. 

Just remember, when you want to quit, what made you start in the first place. 

  

Eating Habits

Oh man. I hate talking about eating habits, because then I have to examine my own, which aren't too pretty.  Unfortunately, for my life examining your eating habits is crucial to weight loss.  Now, I don't know if any of you remember the Jenny Craig commercial.  If you're happy and you know it, eat a snack.  If you're sad and you know it, eat a snack. Yeah. That's me.  Or if you're bored and you know it eat a snack.  So examining my eat habits is terrifying. I can sit down and literally eat like two boxes of Cheeze-its and then eat dinner, and then have a snack. Yeah, I'm that person. 

That's me. 

But, honestly, you need to look at what you eat. That is a major part of loosing weight, and just in general being more healthy. 

Here are a few things I've found help me be aware of what I'm eating. 

Asking myself, am I hungry? 

I'm a bored, emotional, social eater. Basically, if you can use it as an excuse to eat, I use it. A lot of the time, I'm bored. Mindlessly watching tv, eating food, which is the worse, but because I feel like I need to eat something simply because I've trained myself that tv is the place to eat. 

Ok, one way to remedy this... don't watch as much tv. 

But on days I end up at my dad's house and there's junk food and tv galore I usually ramp up my snack intake. The thing I've started doing is drinking water., simply so I have the sensation of putting something in my mouth. Sure, it's substitution method, but it works for me. If I drink the water I don't eat the food. 

Another thing I do is count my calories. I use the my fitness pal app and count the calories. It really makes me aware of what I'm putting in my body. I don't believe in denying myself, but seeing something and then knowing I have so many calories left it makes me wonder if I want to waste my calories on it. 

Sometimes, the simple fact of being aware amps up what I do and don't eat. Along with this don't drink your calories. 

Have you ever thought about how many calories are in a soda. My two sodas a week thing hasn't worked as well this month. It's been a long month. But honestly, drinks count. 

Last thing is know your week points. That will help you avoid them. Where I work, there's a plethora of food, and most if it's fatty and sweet. At first, I had a problem with grazing at the food all day. And I still do, but not as much. I knew it was a problem area, so I took what control I did have and had the food choices be more healthy. Or I learned to say no to it. 

Now the problem is home. When I get home, I eat food non-stop. I get really horrible fast food cravings too. I know that on certain nights, I'm going eat out.  Those are the hard nights. 

 Those are the hard nights. But I overcome them some how, and some times I don’t. Personalty, food guilt is the worse guilt of all. 

I know we all struggle with it. I hope this helps you in some way. 

Here's a few more motivational posters for you to look at. 

The Dreaded Cheat Day

Ok. The dreaded Cheat Day. 

We all know it's going to happen because life doesn't go according to plan. You go out to dinner here, breakfast there. You're roommate has a birthday so you get cake twice. 

Yeah. Cheat Day's happen. 

And you know what? It's all right to have a cheat day. Some times you're going to have more than one a week. Because life isn't a neat box tied up in a pretty ribbon. Life is... life. It throws curve balls and some times you just want the hamburger, or apple pie with crumble topping. 

So you know what? 

You keep going. A cheat day is going to happen. It doesn't mean that you aren't dieting any more. It really doesn't. It just means you're human and life happens. 

Even though you feel like this. 

Another thing to remember is that just because you have a bad thing for you doesn't mean you're whole day has to be bad. 

Yeah, so today, I was bad. It got chocolate for Valentine's day. I ate it. What else was supposed to do. I tracked it, and felt guilty. I still tried to pay attention to what I ate. But it happened. I was out with friends, and people have this tendency to freak out if you're not eating. Especially older people. They really don't take no for an answer. 

The important part is I'm going to get back up tomorrow and begin again.  

Yeah, I messed up today and yesterday, but that isn't going to stop me. Cheat days happen. You don't always plan them, but the most important thing is to not let the cheat day become a cheat life. 

In Search Of. . . Fitness Week 2

In Search of. . . . Fitness Week 2 Measurements

Weight: 1 stupid 40 lbs.

Week 2 Measurements
Bust: 41 inches (Bigger? Go figure.)
Waist: 31 inches
Stomach: 38.5 inches
Hips: 38.5 inches
Rear: 40.5 inches
Thighs: 22 inches
Calves: 13 inches
Arms: 10.5 inches

So only half an inch in some parts, but it means I’m half an inch smaller in most parts, right? So, I will take that.

This week I’m going to talk about working out and life, and how they go together, or rather how they don’t.

Life has a lot of things we must accomplish, the feeding, the bathing, the working, and the house cleaning. Of course there are our vegetation hours when we become large stalks of broccoli. Getting a schedule together to accomplish everything you need to in one day is hard, especially when you want to get a good work out.

When you work out, you give up time you could spend watching T.V. (Although, I’d work out with DVD on the lap top and watch Diner, Drive-ins, and Dives. No clue why.) It is possible to kill two birds with one stone. Mostly like though, there are going to be days when life and working out aren't on speaking terms.

So yeah, accept right now that there will be days that you will miss your work out. Accept it!

For example though, I had to take a whirlwind trip for my late brother birthday and my nephew’s birthday as well few weekends ago. I left Friday morning and got back Sunday morning; I just didn't have the time between all the driving. It threw me off, and I missed four days in a row.  

On the fifth day, I checked my calendar and realized that the previous four day were missing the fluorescent yellow “WKOT” I put on there to keep track of myself. Irritated, decided it was time to work out again.

And there are also days where you just don’t want to work out. Don’t feel badly about those. These must also be accepted.

Just keep mind that when you've missed days, it’s one day out of 7, 30 to 31, and 365. You just can’t let it keep you down. Get back in those workout clothes and workout.

As always,