Inspiration vs. Motivation

Sometimes the Doritos be calling my name! Sometimes I don't want to work out. Sometimes I want to just slip into old habits. That's when motivation kicks in.

I visit  fitness blogs and get inspiration but ultimately living a healthy lifestyle comes from self motivation. Educating yourself on what's in your food and what your body needs is motivation.  Knowing that you are worth the time and effort it takes to exercise -that helps you to push through. When I feel like I want to quit, I like to look at how far I've come. It's a reminder that I'm not doing this in vain. No matter how slow progress happens, it still happens and will continue to happen, IF I continue to push myself. These pics show that I have made progress. I have quite a way to go if I'm gonna have a flat stomach, but I know that is is possible.

Before.....no, I did NOT stick my stomach out. That, ladies and gentleman, is a GUT. 

Feb. 2013....I changed my diet and added cardio. 

I have a few friends who want to lose weight and they all have the same question: how do you stay motivated? Honestly, I had wanted to lose weight for years but the desire turned to action once I believed in myself. Rather than just looking at what others had accomplished, I asked myself: What does she have that I don't? Why can't I do this? It's asking yourself the hard questions that makes all the difference. Why am I this size in the first place? Why do I accept this when I don't like it? Digging deeply into what got you to where you are will help you to make changes. And having realistic goals is key. I finally realized that I wasn't going to be able to go from hiding my rolls at the beach to a bikini body in just a few weeks and with no exercise. The gimmicks, the short cuts, they're all baloney. But no one wants to hear that. Sorry ladies and gents but welcome to reality.

So small changes are helpful. I started by eating more fruits and veggies. If you aim for five servings a day, it will be the bulk of what you eat that day. Also, drinking water like it's going out of style helped me to feel full and to avoid confusing thirst with hunger (more on that in a future post).

Ultimately, you can be inspired, meaning you can want to do something as a result of what you've seen/heard. 

The ladies above  have been a BIG inspiration for me. But it wasn't until I asked myself, well why can't I do it too? that I actually started to change. 

It's motivation that takes you off the couch. 

I'm motivated to live a healthier life because.....

• I walked in the door and had to drive my dad to the hospital once because he thought he was having a heart attack. Diabetes, high cholesterol and a host of other ills run in my family. I owe it to myself to take care of my body starting right now. 

• I don't believe in aging. Of course, we all age and our bodies change-and not for the better. However, I don't think that being on 15 different pills should be a part of my retirement package. Some illnesses strike regardless of what you do. But many illnesses are the direct result of lifestyle. So if you spend decades not exercising and eating whatever you wish, is it really any wonder that your arteries are crying out now? 
• I do it because I can. There are so many people who don't have the physical ability to exercise. In college I had a friend who was born without legs. While he was a well-adjusted guy who was able to do everyday things, I learned the importance of valuing the "little things". I am blessed to have a body that does all the things it's supposed to do!
• I know better so I do better. There are millions of people who don't realize that what they are eating is literally killing them slowly. While "we are all gonna die from something" (*insert eye roll here) that doesn't mean I should knowingly contribute to it. Now that I've learned about how toxic processed food is, I cannot eat it as if it's real food. Does that mean that I never eat cake or  non-organic foods? No. But I don't make it a regular part of my diet.
• I want to be hot. This time I was motivated to lose weight because I didn't want to waste anymore of my 20's in a body I didn't love. As I age gravity will do its thing, therefore, I need to look the best I can now. I'd already spent years of my life settling for less than what I wanted and deserved. I didn't want to continue to do that. I wanted to be comfortable in my body. 
• I was tired of being tired. When I watched Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead and Forks Over Knives I realized that I had control over my health. I have a few non-life threatening health issues and I would find myself constantly tired. Once I changed how I ate and added exercise, I enjoyed living my life even more. 

So tell me....what motivates or inspires you?