Recently, I meet a really interesting man who was impressed with my story and journey of weight loss victory. He asked me how I stayed motivated for such a long time, for it took me close to 3 years to lose 100 pounds.
I had to think for a moment, because there were so many things I had in place that kept me motivated. Yet, one thing that I believe inspired and motivated me the most was what I call the True To You factor or the Divine Time factor for lack of a better description…let me explain…
When you are being true to yourself by taking the time to care for your body by eating properly, taking your required supplements, exercising daily, and making the sacrifices necessary to get healthy, it is as if all your hopes and dreams begin to materialize. It is as if the Divine (God) honors your efforts by granting your desires. Why? Because, your body is the most prized possession. Without a healthy body, you are not really able to do all you are destined to do while here on this marvelous place we call earth. Yes, we maybe doing a great job at our current state, but just think of what we could accomplish if we were at our peak condition!
One of the things I had to do when I began my weight loss journey was to write out my dreams for my life. This included what I wanted in every area, such as career, family, hobbies, finances, relationships, spirituality, health and fitness, etc. I wrote out things I desired and wanted to happen. Then I cut out pictures to represent those desires…even small ones such as getting a laptop computer or a fancy blackberry cellular phone. Things like peace of mind and a new outlook on life, were things I wanted emotionally, and the list goes on.
What I found to happen was that as I would strive daily to reach my goals for my health and wellness, the things on my list began to materialize!!! I began to have new friendships, I got a promotion on my job with a pay increase, and many other things I thought would never happen for me.
Lately, I’ve been stuck. Since I’ve moved to Florida, a lot of interesting and exciting things have happened to me…(and by the way, living in a tropical environment was one of the desires on my list), yet life has not been easy and I’ve had many challenges and set-backs. My weight has stabilized and I still need to lose more to reach my ultimate goal.
What I am realizing, is that I am not as consistent with what I call the MAIN INGREDIENTS: Exercise, Diet, Mental Preparation, and Spiritual Connection.
The demands of work have once again taken precedence making it difficult for me. Yet, work responsibilities and related stresses are always going to be there…yet it is up to me to stay strong and committed to doing what I need to do every day.
I can blame it on a lot of things that I don’t have in my life that would make it easier to succeed, but then this will not help re-direct me at all and if anything, can make me bitter and ungrateful. What I’ve decided to do, is to make the best of what I do have. I have a great gym that I can go to daily for my workouts. If I am bored with my diet, there is always a fresh new recipe I can try, and if I need support, I can always find a weight loss success story to read, or connect with my old friends who have helped motivate me in the past.
My list is long and continues to grow. That is a good thing for we should always want more out of life. With constant follow through and staying TRUE to Me, by doing what I must to keep healthy and fit, perhaps more things on my list will begin to happen for me, thus making all I do to be healthy worth the effort.
Being who I am destined to be is greater than what I am doing presently and the visions I have for my life are way more incredible than what I see on a daily basis. This knowledge at times can be frustrating and inspiring at the same time because I want things to happen quickly. But, I know if I stay TRUE to my body, then I will be honored and rewarded greatly.
So, as I enter another eventful week, I am looking forward to seeing some great changes happen…Let me know how things are going for you..your stories help inspire me and keep me going as well..
Have a great week!
Your Weight Loss Friend,
Camille
