My Journey With Health And Fitness – Keeping Motivated

While I was out on my 2nd walk today I came to an intersection and there was a City truck. Now you have all read about my encounters with vehicles at intersections and how many of them fail to see that I have the right of way. I do truly believe they are all out to injure me however, I take pride in the fact that I am a courteous walker and don’t just demand the right of way. Today was an example of this because the City employee saw me about to cross and waited for me to do so. However, I noticed that he wanted to cross a busy street and that there was no traffic coming in either direction so I insisted that he go first. A bit of waving back and forth ensued until I convinced him to go through. This is how you properly share the road and is how I will continue to do so.

One of my trainers is going through a bit of a struggle right now. She admits that she has lost her motivation and is feeling the physical impacts of this. Fortunately she has found her own 100 day program for which you commit to doing at least 30 minutes of movement every day for 100 days. Good for her and I hope it helps her get herself back to where she feels she needs to be.

I am the last one to scoff at or criticize this. I went to that same place for a year and it wasn’t just the motivation that I lost but also some fitness and worse, I had gained back a bunch of weight. I guess the question then becomes how did I get that motivation back and is it going to stick this time?

There’s are a few reasons as to why I have been successful in the last 6 months or so. Firstly, this time I am paying to get and stay fit. Previously it was all free because I just walked or ran, now I pay to be able to attend daily fitness classes which are over and above my walking/running. Secondly, others are helping to hold me accountable. When I first started back in June on the 6 week challenge I had to do weekly check-ins as well as have someone else know my weight (I only like revealing my weight when it is in range). I was so determined to not embarrass myself by not losing weight or even worse gaining it that it lit a real fire under my butt. Finally, I am just so proud of my fitness level now that I never want to go back to where I was ever again. 

But full disclosure here, there are definitely days when I think I should just take the day off an have a rest. I’ve said it before, that is ok as long as you have a plan to get back at it. My biggest fear is that I go back to the it’s ok, I can pick it up again next week which turns into next month which snowballs into even longer. I am bound and determined never to do that again though I admit, I have already given myself permission not only to take Christmas Day off but also to for 1 day only to ignore what I am eating.

So find your motivation wherever you can and embrace it. Remember this journey started with me telling myself it was simply one step at a time. You too can do this!