Motivation?

One of my favorite people and constant supporters (and blog followers) requested a blog about motivation. I was not entirely sure how to do that because I think we each have individual things that motivate us. So (somewhat inspired by another blogger), I just decided to make a list of all the things I could go back to if I just gave up my healthy lifestyle. Let's think about it: You're always either eating right or not. Whether you are on WW program or not, you're feeding your body something! So, without further ado, the things I gave up by going on Weight Watchers:

• I gave up being carefree about what I was eating. I think about my choices before I make them now.
• I gave up eating because I was sad or scared or worried. I gave up attaching food to those emotions. I gave up feeling empty afterward because food didn't help the real problem.
• I gave up the ease of knowing there were only a couple stores at the mall that had clothes I liked that would fit me. I gave up having limited choices. I gave up sleeves and pant legs that were always too long because someone my size was obviously super tall and large in general- not just fat.
• I gave up always sitting in the aisle at restaurants, movies, church, because I was really stressed about how I was going to fit on the inside. I sit on the inside sometimes now, but there is still that moment when I forget the new body I live in and I think, "How am I going to get in there?"
• I gave up believing that my health didn't matter that much. I stopped thinking, "Who cares? We're all going to die anyway." Now I think, I have one body and one life; I want to take care of it.
• I gave up feeling like I'm less than a person anyway. I gave up feeling substandard. I gave up presenting myself as subordinate. 
• I gave up waiting for close parking spots everywhere I went. I gave up being so winded I didn't know if I would make it up to my office and sit down.
• And the biggest thing I gave up: I gave up the belief that I was not strong enough to do it. I gave up the idea that I couldn't make a change, and that I didn't deserve to feel good. We all deserve to take care of ourselves. We all deserve to eat right. We all deserve to feel good.

So in a way, it's true. The old me didn't have the strength to go to the gym, and eat right, and feel good, but the line between the old and new me is that change in belief. The difference was the girl who looked in the mirror one morning and said, "I want better for you." That's the difference between being on plan and being off: how much do you care about yourself? How much do you want better?

"It's not who you are that holds you back; it's who you think you're not." --Anon