This post might be long because my experience this morning reminded me of previous experiences with weight loss.
Let’s go back, waaaay back to when I was young and stupid – planning my wedding – ha ha Stephen just kidding! It was April and I had just embarked on my weight loss plan so I could be incredibly sexy for the wedding which was in August.
A week or so in I started to not feel very well. I complained about it a little and my hubbie said something along the lines of “You’ll never follow through.” That I always get sick or whatever when I start a program. (Now to be fair to him, there is some truth to what he was saying, in the past this was a repeating pattern). At the time I didn’t feel this is what was happening but what really got my goat was what he said. I didn’t say anything but I thought, “Ok Fucker, I’ll show you! We’ll see won’t we?”
And I went on to lose about 35 pounds, got myself down to 137.
Know what? I looked REALLY GOOD! Too bad I don’t have bikini pics from the wedding trip to compare to the current ones lol. It’s now about 50 pounds later so you can imagine the difference it would be.
Well over the years Stephen has tried to motivate me. He knows that I am not happy the way I am. He also knows that the route I’ve been taking is going to probably kill me early. I mean we don’t know for sure right? But I am definitely a good candidate for all the current faves: Diabetes, Heart Disease and Cancer. Bottom line is I need to do something about this. Hence, this blog was born because it really makes me accountable!
How has Stephen tried to motivate me? Well those who know me know I love to spend money. If it weren’t for Stephen, I’d be in a big trouble I think. Basically I like to eat my money. Money goes to junk and fast food. And then there’s the shopping – I love getting new clothes.
So you’d think that if I’m given the opportunity to blow a bunch of money if I do the simple task of getting healthy,( which I should be doing automatically anyway) don’t you think I’d do it?
Nope.
A $1500 bike (it was beautiful I’ll add) that I didn’t have to pay for. I was like, “Sign me up!” Did I follow through?
Nope.
Another attempt: I would get $1000 to blow on clothes. Free shopping spree? Uh YEAH! Did I follow through?
Nnnnnope.
Yet another attempt: He tried to lead by example. We got a Wii, with fitness games, he changed his whole diet, basically eliminated sugar, exercised etc. He ended up losing 15 pounds I didn't know he had. Did I follow through?
Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnope!
So what is different this time? Isn’t good health, a sexy body and less need for depression meds good enough to motivate me?
Apparently not.
Now I know it’s only been five days, so I can hardly say things like “what’s different this time?” But if you knew how many times I’ve failed since my alkaline cleanse days, you’d know that this is different. I usually don’t make it past a day or two, sometimes even three hours.
“Oh I’ll start again tomorrow…Oh this is the last time…this one time won’t matter.”
Uh Gnat? Everytime you say that it adds up.
A little fat here and a little fat there. Here’s some fat there’s some fat, everywhere some fat fat…
Just once is fine if it’s just ONCE.
Are you the least bit curious why I’m just so into it this time?
Soon, first another story:
This morning I woke up in tremendous pain. I mean, let’s get serious here, four days of exercise and no break when I haven’t gotten off the couch in years? How can I really expect my body to do that? Stephen and I had planned on going to the gym today while the kid was in preschool. We were going to do some cardio and then some circuit training. I haven’t lifted weights of any kind since 2004.
“I’m not going today.” I thought I was going to die it hurt so much. Stephen said, “I knew you were going to bail.”
Turns out that this was to his advantage because he had no motivation to go either. And it's not like we were going to be missing out from not going because we'd gone every day since the New Year. I came back in the room a little later saying, "Screw it let's go." And he said, "Awwww I'm already in the stay in bed mode now." LOL. I told him I was going anyway.
Guess what? We went. I decided to go and I would just take it easy. So there seems to be a common denominator here. If someone tells me (or specifically is it Stephen?) I can’t do something or won’t be able to or whatever – does this get me excited? Hmmm…
Once I was there, and once I loosened up during my cardio I was ready to PERFORM! We did a circuit and at the end I said, “Are we doing another one?” Stephen was like, “Uh, I don’t really want to.” LOL He did it with me because he’s such a great support.
Or was he competing? Who knows? He is a guy after all. All I know is he didn’t really want to do it but he did it anyway. So SOMETHING motivated him!
And what motivated me? I was feeling so great and fit. I didn’t want to stop.
So in the end, what is really getting me going in the first place? Curious?
Stephen has finally found my weak spot. The one thing I can’t say no to. The one thing that I MUST have! I have a tax account that holds the money I’ve taxed myself from the music lessons I teach, and I probably won’t need to pay it to taxes because I don’t make enough in a year.
Here’s the bet we’ve made:
If I meet my goal of 20 pounds, we will use that money to go to my favourite vacation spot: Harrison Hot Springs for 4 whole nights!!!! And if I lose 25 pounds, I also get to have a treatment at their spa, which I’ve always wanted to do!
What happens if I lose the bet though? Hmmmm. That money goes to whatever Stephen wants to spend it on, and it will be most likely on something that won’t benefit me. Like a trip to Vegas or something.
Know what? He ain’t winning! He’s gonna lose so badly he won’t even know what happened. NO ONE is standing between me and Harrison Hot Springs! I wish I could LIVE there!
So Stephen: SUCK A ZUBE! J
So what motivates you? Everyone has SOMETHING that will make the difference to them. You just have to find that special something or someone or reason why you should do it and WILL do it!
Figure it out and join me. The more the merrier!
Tonight's Dinner:
