I think that defining my reasons for a change will help me stay motivated and on track. Vaguely mumbling “well, it’s time to lose some weight!” to myself has not yet been useful or helpful so far. So, in no particular order, the things that I plan to keep in mind this coming year:
1 – I can’t sleep for crap. I snore, I toss and turn and per my Fitbit, I wake up way more than I should. I get a good night maybe every 7-10 days. This turns into a downward spiral because when I am tired, I crave carbs and sugar.
2 – Extra weight kind of hurts. Things feel wrong, my knees throb and of course if clothes are too snug that feels awful.
3 – Oh, the clothes. When my XL comfy shirts are getting tight, we have a problem. Not to mention I want new clothes, but don’t want to buy new stuff in case I lose weight and waste money… it’s just a drama.
4 – General malaise and achiness. Not so much a weight thing, but if I gain it’s typically because I’m eating things that aren’t so good for me (or too much of anything). That makes me bloated and tired, plus I have lower energy from carrying around more pounds than I should. I want to work out but I’m too tired – it’s a vicious cycle.
5 – Social discomfort. I know, I know, I should feel at home in my skin no matter what. I don’t, though. I’m not one to worry much what others think but when I see my face in a picture and it doesn’t look like me, or I realize my clothes look awful or I look down and see a poochy stomach – I don’t feel comfortable at all.
So – my reasons may not be your reasons – you may read them as trivial or shallow. I don’t really care – I need to motivate myself with reasons that matter and you do, too. I want to feel good, look good and sleep better. Tomorrow when I begin, I am going to try really hard to keep these things in mind when faced with food that doesn’t get me closer to my goals. I have a menu planned out, the food shopped for and a work out schedule mapped out but that will not do much good at all if I can’t keep my motivation in sight.