Motivation...
Friday, April 05, 2013
Today I am thinking about motivation. How do I keep motivated to stay in my calorie and fat ranges? How about you? I look in the mirror and like what I see! I look at pictures taken in the past and see the smaller Angie that I want to be again. Then I look at the pictures taken since 2006 and think...wow...I don't want to ever be that unhealthy again!!
I think about the poor health my Dad was in at the end of his life. The diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. (I may have missed something!) He was not healthy at all. When he quit working he became a couch potato. Sure he did some work around the house, but not much until he moved to Idaho with my Step-Mom. He ate pretty well after he became a diabetic, but not before. Two sandwiches a day for 25 years didn't help! But he was a hard worker.
I haven't done heavy work since I was a CNA. I did it for 3 years. It was hard. We sometimes lifted patients by ourselves. I have pushed many wheel chairs in my day and walked with some very unsteady people. I have given bed baths and I learned how to change a bed with a person in it. Big deal you may say. Well, all I am saying is that is the last time I did any really hard work on the job. My most recent jobs used my brain power instead of my muscle power.

I also wasn't exercising at all. Pretty sedentary for many years. I was mentally exhausted from my job and just wanted to relax when I got home!!
Now I realize that had I gone for a walk instead of plop down on the couch and grab the remote I would have been better off!!
Now if I take a walk in the morning I am more apt to get my exercise in that day. It might even spur me on to take more than one walk that day!!
When I eat plenty of fruits and veggies I feel better. I know I could do better in that part of my healthy lifestyle. Sometimes I do have to eat frozen or canned due to my IBS. I try to buy unsweetened fruit and lower sodium veggies, if they are canned. Frozen veggies are really good and I pick them up when there is a good sale going on at the store. I even get a Bountiful Basket and split it with someone.

Snickers will eat romaine or green leaf lettuce. I don't give him very much...just a taste. But he loves it!
So how do you stay motivated? Do you look in the mirror? Do you look at old pictures? Do you try new recipes? Do you see others in poor health and hope that is never you?? Do you exercise even on day you don't want to exercise?
Tell me how you stay motivated. Maybe something you say will Spark me to try something new when my motivation is low!!
Angie