Motivation

Apparently I sometimes make this healthy living thing look easy. It isn't easy. Making this commitment to healthy living has been a long journey that has now become a way of life for me. Like everyone, I struggle to find motivation to workout, as I type I am thinking about how I am going to fit in an hour cardio workout in my day. This is not something I "have" to do but I want to improve my health, run a faster 5K next time and even though I am not focusing on it - I'd like to lose the final few pounds to get to my goal weight.

In order for me to stay motivated I surround myself with like-minded people. Some I know in real life and others have no clue I exist. The participants on The Biggest Loser fall into that category. I have never met any of the individuals on The Biggest Loser but for this entire season I have watched them battle to save their lives. Every Tuesday I cheer for them in my family room and sometimes shed a tear. As I watch the scale move for them on a weekly basis, I keep my own expectations in check. These folks are making exercise and healthy living a full time job and their results are far from typical.

When I workout - especially with Jillian Michaels dvds I keep the challengers on The Biggest Loser in mind and think - if a 400 pound person can exercise and push their bodies to the limits, so can I! A couple of weeks ago they ran a 5k and that motivated me to push my race date up. I keep thinking of Darius and the fact that he ran the 5k in 17 minutes! 4 months of intense training, over 100 pounds lost and this young man has truly become an athlete!

Next Tuesday, May 25th is the season finale. The at home winner and the overall winner will be revealed. Although the competition is for money, I personally believe everyone on the show is a winner. Tonight, as usual, I will be live tweeting the show, but next week I am on a panel with Mamavation during the finale. If you plan on watching the season finale, join the party by signing up here.

I am sure I will shed more tears and be inspired. Shay, a competitor from last season will return for a weigh-in and will be rewarded by Subway for all of her hard work. They pledged to give her $1000 for every pound shed, I can't wait to see how she well she has done. Her story and the stories of all the people on The Biggest Loser motivate me on a daily basis. I also carry the memory of what I used to look like and use that as motivation too. What is your motivation? What will get you off of that couch and truly invested in you?