Fit Fare

This is part of a continuing series on one woman’s battle with weightloss. Click here to see past entries.

Victory.

Victory is losing one pound during the week of Thanksgiving, despite all the food, leftovers, and desserts eaten for breakfast. Victory is planning your meals for the day and then sticking to it. Victory is allowing that meal plan to change a little to accomodate an afternoon sugar fix without exceeding calories. Victory is getting fast food for your husband and not for yourself. Victory is eating healthy when those around you aren’t.

Yes. Victory.

That was my yesterday. This morning, I was so pumped by my success yesterday that I finally got around to making a healthy smoothie for breakfast with the yogurt I purchased for that purpose last weekend. It was delicious and contained three servings of fruit. What a great way to start the day (with a 300 calorie breakfast). One of the most important things for me when losing way is keeping up the momentum. When the scale tips in the right direction, that’s a win that creates a good high. When I stick to the plan, that’s a win too.

Someone who commented on my column last week asked what motivates me. I thought this would be a good place to tackle that very complex question. Motivation, for me, comes in many forms.

I am motivated heavily by the mirror. When I see myself and I look good, it makes me want to look better. And on the days where I don’t look my best, it makes me want to work harder to have more good days. I am also motivated by the scale. When I see it moving in the right direction, I want to continue that. And my family. I want to live long with my husband and see my son grow up, go to college, get married and have children of his own. To do that, I need to be fit and healthy.

It could be just me, but how I dress really impacts my attitude and motivation. If I dress in a way where I feel good, like I look good, then I work harder to eat better and stay healthier. But if I toss on clothes that I don’t feel like flatter my body, I find that I fall into ruts of comfort eating, overeating and indulging - the trifecta of evil in weightloss (thanks Curt McAdams for tossing ‘trifecta’ into my vocab, love that word!).

So I guess making myself feel like I look good could be my greatest motivator. Afterall, I am not losing weight to look good for anyone but myself. I am uncomfortable seeing an overweight me. I want to be comfortable looking at myself.

Super Morning Smoothie
serves 1

1 banana
5 large strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (good quality)
1/2 cup skim milk

Combine all ingrediants in a blender and blend smooth. Drink immediately.

Calories: 306, Carbs: 55 g, Fat: 5 g, Protein: 10 g