Weigh-Ins are on MONDAYS - Updated July 3, 2017

Surgery Date: October 20, 2009:

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Motivation. Do You Have It?

I sometimes wonder where my motivation to be healthy and active disappears to sometimes.
Perhaps my motivation goes to that dark and mysterious place where all the missing socks in the dryer go to?

Due to my lack of motivation, I've been making poor food choices lately.  Yep, I could make a list of the CRAP that I've been eating lately, but I won't.

My lack of motivation is a direct result of me forgetting how unhealthy I felt when I was a fatty at 256 lbs. 

I am forgetting how much my back used to hurt when I would wake up in the morning or how swollen my ankles/feet were at the end of the day.

I wish I could buy one of those weighted vest/outfits that they make the final contestants wear on the Biggest Loser to remind them how much weight they have lost. 

I have to settle for my version of this reminder: carrying a 40 lb cat litter bag into the house every month.  It's just not the same though. 

I want to strap 111 lbs to my body and try and function throughout my usual day.  It would suck.  I would get sweaty and out of breath at the top of the stairs like I always did, but it would remind me of what I don't want to return to...a life with high blood pressure and being so tired all of the time.

I am forgetting what it's like to be a size 24W.  Size 6 petite is my normal now.  Very rarely do I get that feeling anymore of "WOO HOO! Look at me fitting into tiny jeans!" when I get dressed in the morning. Perhaps it time to get my Jared Fat Pants out of the closet and test drive them around the house?
So, here's my question for you, how do you stay motivated on your journey to improved health?  I want to know.

12 comments:

  1. Well im nowhere near your size yet.. so I get my reminders constantly. I am also able to check more and more things off my bucket list now, which I never would have been able to do previously. Maybe you need to challenge yourself with something to remind your body of where you came from??
    you look amazing by the way!
    oh and I also read wonderful blogs like yours to stay on track

    ReplyDelete
  2. I find that reading your story motivates me.. That and a couple of others causes me to stay on and try to get healthy

    ReplyDelete
  3. You motivate me!
    I wonder if this last few days has been your 'reward' to yourself for maintaining your goal for 6 months. I think I noticed the same day you posted the goal, you took a photo of a donut. ?? Just wondering. I do it to. It's the 'fat brain' over riding the 'healthy' brain.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Motivation can be fleeting at times but going back and remembering the "old days" like you have helps. At my highest, I could not easily cross my legs. Bummer! I hated every single thing in my closet. I would look in the mirror and think "refrigerator" -- big square hunk of person. Sad but true. And yes, you are very inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Right now running is motivating me...sorta. If i'd actually get my flubber outside to run anyway. But i've got running goals that I want to meet, big one being a 5K that i'm thinking of signing up for.

    It still kicks my ass every morning to see the scale keep going up, but it's my own damn fault for eating crap. That's always a struggle for me. I do really good, then really bad. Someday I hope to overcome it, and when I do, i'll totally tell you all the secrets I found out on how to control it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Being able to cross my legs the way I have never been able to before, seeing the scale read numbers i haven't seen in years, being able to control what I put in my mouth and feeling full on much less, and finally but not least, are the blogs I read and keep up with and I have you to thank for the last as you were the first blog that I found read and still keep up with. I say enjoy your crap eating days as I know they are few, just make them your reward and dont let the reward overcome you.

    Be good to yourself!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I get my motivation from YOU lady. Seriously you are the one who inspired me to get up and get my "sweat on" every day. You inspired me to try (and love) Zumba! You have motivational vLogs about your kitchen and your dishes and the foods you eat. I read LBG for inpiration and motivation. Thank you thank you for sticking with us even though you are in maintenance.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Some days motivation is hard to come by but certain things almost force me to stay motivated.

    The first and foremost is my son. He is 2 yrs old, never thought I'd have children, got pregnant out of the blue after trying for 5 years, then he was born 10 weeks early and now you would never guess he was a preemie. The minute he was born I vowed to get healthy for him. I wanted to be the mom chasing him at the playground not the fat mom on the bench watching.

    I refuse to live like I have for the majority of my life anymore. Being over 100 lbs over weight I was miserable inside, didn't know how miserable until months after my surgery. I feel reborn again. I never want this feeling to go away. I look at food differently now, it's not like I did before. I ate before because it tasted good. Now I eat to fuel my body and stay alive not to satisfy a craving. Hardest thing in the world is to admit you are a food addict.

    I want to be in the single digits on pant sizes, Im almost there, I probably could squeeze into 10's right now but to say a one digit number will be AMAZING! It's already amazing to say I don't have to shop in the plus size section anymore.

    When I do lose motivation or want to give up, I look back at my pictures. I have taken monthly pictures ever since my surgery. I just recently took pictures of me in my size 24 pants that I USE to wear and holy batman is that unreal! To see how big I use to be amazes me, I truly didn't know I was that big. The pictures are a quick reminder for me and give me that swift kick in my tush!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Right now I am playing "hide and seek" with my motivation. Unfortunately I am not able to find it AT ALL.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Interesting question!
    I stay motivated to keep with it by staying very HONEST about my numbers on the scale-- and through accountability of my blog.
    Much as I wanted to deny my recent weight gain, I did not 'allow' myself to pretend it wasn't happening-- and I let myself get scared about what was happening so that I could move to the next step (going and getting a fill and then another fill.)
    I remember that I am not doing this on my own: I had WLS to help me, and I have a doctor's practice who is there to help me through the process-- no matter how far out I am .
    You'll find your mojo again, I think we all vary in what works-- but for me: pure and simple, it is keeping it 'real'.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the photo!! Congrats on your size differential in the clothing department. It's great that you held onto at least one pair of pants at your highest weight so you have some memories you can slip into when you're lacking motivation a little bit.
    Christine
    www.phoenixrevolution.net

    ReplyDelete
  12. I heard someone once say, "Screw motivation. Just do it anyway." While I think that's true in some ways, I actively seek out motivation by surrounding myself with successful people. Also going back and reading my list of reasons to lose weight that I wrote at 281 pounds really helps.

    ReplyDelete