Celebrate the small victories because the big ones are few and far between. I'm on a VERY LONG journey to a healthy weight, if I didn't take time to recognize my small steps of progress I would quit. Who's making 2017 a journey to fitness year and what are your victories? These are mine:
Mini-Motivator #1:
White Shorts
I’m sitting here comfortably wearing a pair of white
shorts that last summer were impossible to zip up and the summer before (when I
bought them) were “stuffed sausage” tight. The scale didn’t bring me a broken
plateau yet but I know the inches are decreasing. Everyone said to measure my inches when I
began, I didn’t – did NOT want to know how high that tape measure would
go. Kind of wish I did, but I can tell
by the way my clothing feels.
Mini-Motivator #2: Five
Minute Pause
Today, once again, I found myself gladly making that turn
into the gym parking lot, but then just sitting in my vehicle. I pulled my phone out and took my first look
of the day at email and Facebook. Once I
saw a post from the #GoRedGetFit group I clicked on the group and read lots of
motivation. Then I proceeded into the
gym wondering if it was wrong that I took a few minutes in the car. I’ve actually noticed other people in the gym
parking lot that seem to do the same. I
concluded that as long as my pause doesn’t last more than 5 minutes, reading
motivation helps me continue and it would be an OK habit to continue.
Mini-Motivator #3: Rediscovered
Abs
For those reading who haven’t tipped the scales as much as I
have, let me inform you that there comes a time when you can no longer “hold in”
your stomach. You make the crunch motion
but nothing really changes externally or internally. And the middle & upper abs? I’m not sure how long its been since I felt
those babies. In the past few months I
noticed while running that I could effectively contract my stomach (lower abs)!
That was enlightening for me. This week
I’ve located my middle & upper abs!
I can feel all 3 sections contract as I work them. It’s thrilling! Feeling that really motivates me to continue
ab work, which luckily I can do every day at the gym!
Today I completed my arms/hips workout + 20 mins on the
Elliptical. Between sets I did various ab work on the exercise ball or floor. Thanks to the other lady in the room doing her routine, she gave me lots of ideas.
Later I took Otis on a 2
mile walk.
P.S. yesterday I DID take the
walk (it was drizzly but I took these nice photos) and ended the day with over 18,000 steps!
