Determined To Succeed

Hello my friends and welcome to Sunday, December 27th, which just happens to be the last day of Christmas weekend and the first weekend of Kwanzaa. With most of us back to work tomorrow today is the last day to fit in the last remaining things we have to do, especially getting ready for New Year’s Eve/Day, getting some after Christmas/Boxing Day bargain shopping in or cleaning up from the weekend.

Sure, there are plenty of things to do to take up time in a day but it is most important to make and take the time to do what we need to do for ourselves. So I’m going to ask you a simple but tough question. Ready? What have you done for yourself the past few days? I know we’ve all had wonderful foods (and in my case a wee-bit too much food), spent time with family, friends, co-workers, etc., but what have you done just for you to help yourself on your weight loss journey?

Did you get up the past couple of days to work out and exercise? Did you eat a bit less before, after or during? Did you tell people you’re trying to lose weight and stick to it? I really hope so because no one is going to take care of you but you, especially in this weight loss journey.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not coming down hard on anyone because, as I have stated in the past, I am human, too, and am just as guilty about not working out when I should, eating badly and too much, etc. I am just here to remind you today that in all that needs to be done you should take some time out for yourself, maybe an hour, to work on your weight loss journey because that’s important, too.

Every journey has a beginning, we all know that. And while we will be walking this path for the rest of our lives (eating better and exercising to maintain a goal weight) there is a goal we’re trying to reach. We must all do what we need to do to get there. That’s why I say to tell everyone of your incredible courage in starting your journey. For support, understanding and a nudge when you need one.

Sure, today may be the first sunny day we’ve had in southern New Jersey in quite a long time and a great day to get out and enjoy but the first thing on my “to do” list was to get up and exercise. Now I can enjoy the rest of my “to do” list and only think about what foods I should or should not eat all day instead of wondering when I could possibly fit in a workout, too.

We are all here for each other along this path we’re taking, and there will be many who join us along the way. Maybe you’ve encountered some people who you’ve inspired to lose weight (which is awesome). But always remember one simple thing…

…the steps you take today, or any day, will get you that-much-closer to your goal of weight loss and we are all on this path together. So add YOU to your “to do” list.

YOU should always be the first thing on that piece of paper, notepad or Blackberry/IPhone task manager. After all, you are the most important thing in the world.

For those uninitiated, today is Boxing Day in the U.K. So I am sending a huge shout out to all my friends, visitors and fans in the United Kingdom today! I had it in my mind to actually get up at 6:00 a.m. (or thereabouts), work out and then hit the stores looking for great discounts, deals and sales.

Um, yeah. That didn’t happen.

Instead, I woke up around 8:00 a.m. and listened to the sound of the rain outside (which is melting the last of last week’s two feet of snow). It is wonderful and very peaceful. Then I dragged my sorry and sagging butt out of bed, threw on clothes and headed to my gym.

Despite my lazy “get up and out of bed” mode I was quite excited to get back into the gym after indulging (maybe a bit too much) on wonderful holiday foods. “Eh. It’s O.K.,” I told myself as I did my four miles on the elliptical. “I will get rid of this extra weight,” I said as I did my 100 weighted tummy crunches. “I know I will,” as I did my 50 arm curls with dumbbells.

It was an awesome workout, one that I am proud of. And while I didn’t get the Boxing Day/day after Christmas sales I got something way better…time for me, dedicated and devoted to me to exercise and take care of myself and this weight loss journey.

You guys out there may be out shopping by now and will return to a wonderful RSS feed saying I’ve updated my blog (I hope so, anyway) so I hope you took and/or take some time out today from shopping to work on you. That is so very important on this journey we’re all on. It doesn’t matter if it’s a walk, an hour at the gym, sit-ups watching sports at home. DO that for you and you give yourself the best present of all this holiday season.

So now it’s time to hop in the shower and get out and explore what rolls of wrapping paper are left at the Container Store and see what logo tees are left at Old Navy.

That will be a workout in itself, I’m sure.