What do you do to stay motivated? Is there anything specific that you do for yourself, or give yourself as you progress towards your goal? How do you stay on track? Is there something you stay away from?

Personally, I like to look at pictures of myself (if I can find any!!!) from when I was smaller. Right now I have some jeans that I can't fit into in plain sight in my bedroom, I think that is a good motivator, knowing that I will soon be able to comfortably fit into those jeans. I also indulge in some foods or treats every once in a while. It is unrealistic to believe that we can survive long term without ever encountering our "enemy." We are all human, and we all have good days and bad days. That doesn't mean failure, it just means we get another day to prove to ourselves that we can do it, and that we love ourselves enough to make a change.

On another similar note, let's not consider this journey we are on as a weight loss endeavor. The term "lose weight" implies we will eventually find it again, I mean, that's what we do with things we have lost, right? And I don't know about you all, but I am not interested in ever finding any pounds I have miraculously rid myself of. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. It's not losing weight, it's getting healthier. The more we can involve our psyche in our choice to become healthier, the better our outcome will be. Getting fit is not just a physical journey, it is a mental one too!!!! If I remain the same weight, but change my body, I am fine with that. Given my current make-up, that is unlikely, but the satisfaction would be the same regardless.

So, after all that. What do you do to keep yourself inspired to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Do you indulge in a sweet treat every now and again? Or are you a cheerleader for yourself or others? I'm sure we could all use some pointers on motivation!!!!

WE CAN DO IT!!!!!!