WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT????????

This is a statement my weight watcher leader writes on the board every week. When I first started WW I was clear on what I wanted. I had a vision and a plan to get there. I was motivated and focused and things went really well. I rather quickly lost almost 70 lbs and felt great. I felt on top of the world. I felt strong and confident and like I could do anything. In fact I did do lots of things I'd never done before. I entered my first marathon; I took up karate (I'm a brown belt) ; I took up scuba diving; I could go on and on but you get the idea. I knew what I wanted and I went for it and I got it.

I realized the other day that I have no clear vision of what I want therefore I have no plan to get there. So what do I really want????

I want to lose weight!!! Too general. I want to lose 30 lbs. Better. I want to lose 30 lbs of fat. Much better.

What else??? I want to wear my size 8 clothes. Good, specific and definite.

Anything else??? I want to feel good. Define good. I want to feel strong, energetic, alive and comfortable in my body. Nice, you can get a visual of this.

Anything else????? No, I think that's a good place to start.

Okay, what do you need to do to get what you want??? I need to exercise, regularly (at least 6 days a week) and hard (at least an hour). I need to eat right and journal everything. I need to drink water, lots more than I'm drinking now. I need to count calories or points or follow Core or do something and stick to it. I need to develop a plan and stick with it for weeks, months, years. However long it takes to reach my goals.

So, why aren't you doing it? Because it's easier to eat what I want and sit around and bemoan the fact that I am not happy with myself. It's easier to whine away about how hard it is to get up in the morning and exercise. It's much easier to get up and get the bowl of ice cream than it is to sit there and resist it. It's much easier to give in to all those horrible cravings than to grit my teeth and tough it out. It's easier to give in to the sloth inside than to wake up the athlete and get her moving.

And what are you going to do about this?? I'm going to spend this weekend getting ready. I'm going shopping and doing some cooking; I'm going to work out an exercise schedule that incorporates all the things I love, aerobics, weights, biking, running, and swimming. I'm going to add yoga and pilates in at night. Exercising 2x a day really works for me. It keeps me busy and away from eating but also keeps me focused on the question: What do I really want????

What do you really want??????? Okay, I've got a vision, a plan and a focus I think I'm ready to tackle this problem.

I'm ready to face this problem head on. I'm going to spend the weekend circling the wagons and Monday morning the battle begins. I'll be damned if I'm going to let this drag me down one more year. I have 30 lbs to lose. At 1 lb a week that's 30 weeks which takes me to November 20, that's Thanksgiving week. Cool. I'm putting a ticker up and I'm going to fight like hell. I'm going to focus on weight loss and base building. I may do some racing but it will be awhile before I trust the cleanliness of the ocean. But that's okay, I'm going to focus on my weight. Once I get my weight down all other things will be easier. I'm also going to work on a set of goals and rewards. I need to make it good like when I reach my goal I get a new bike - oh, I like that. I will work on it.