Finding and Keeping Motivation

Finding motivation can be hard sometimes.  If you have health issues it might be enough, but often not for long term motivation.  It's  assumable we all want to be healthy, a proper weight, feel great, keep ahead of  those 20 years or more younger than we are.  So what keeps you motivated or better yet,  gets you motivated?  Is it the promise of weighing less, or having a healthy heart, or getting a new number for pants size?  Or is how you will feel when you walk 18 holes of golf? or get through the Zumba class and feel like you could take another one right away?  Is it the promise of what you will look like when you put a new outfit? Are you inspired by others and their achievements?  There are so many things it can be.

When I was in my 30's the I saw a picture of my self bent over during a party for my 2 yr old daughter and I was  mortified.  So I started weight watchers.  I'm a life time member of weight watchers NOT because I made the lifetime goal weight, BUT because I keep going back, time after time.  At that time i lost a significant amount of weight, and had people make several comments all the time.  It drove me nuts.  I didn't and still don't want my weight to be a topic of discussion.  I got alot of "you're such and inspiration" and I couldn't handle it.  After awhile I quit Weight watchers and quit journaling my eating.  I took my motivation picture down of my then large butt bent over and taking up a large portion of the photo. Over the next 18 years, I've gone back on and off WW's.  Its always a great way to eat.  In my mind I have a safe high weight, and a too high I'm not going there weight.  So it makes me an eternal member. I want those numbers to change. To not accept being overweight. To lose the complacency that I've attained over the years.

        I've always been active but the last 6 1/2 years has been much harder to be.  I had a shoulder injury that was surgically repaired, scar tissue impairs some movement.  I've had two herniated disc, which occasionally flair up.  I don't lift weights like I used to and that was my favorite activity. BUT I did find something new, even for my 2 left feet, I've found Zumba.  The music, the movement it just grabs me.  I've taken courses to be a licensced instructor for the Zumba and the Zumba Gold speciality.  I'm challenged by severe anemia, where I have to get IV injections several times a month, but I keep plugging on at it.  I'm looking forward to taking the Toning licencse for zumba some time in the next 6 months because it uses weights.  And because I want to look good - Athletic and healthy and strong for class, I've finally found a motivation based on ME. When my daughter was younger I didn't want her to have a fat mom.  But she ultimately did, but I was healthy and strong fat mom.  So I let it go.  But she isn't at home now she's in England attending school, and we skype.  Those skype sessions are motivating because I look at  myself the entire time I'm talking to my daughter and I can't stand how chubby my face looks.  I'm uber pale, because of the anemia, which won't change much, but I can change how chubby I look. 

So I'm making new things my motivators. I have new ideas of what will keep me going- I'm looking all the time for items to keep me motivated.  I want to be able to buy a Zumba Instructor shirt and have it look hot, not like i squeezed into it.  I want to be able to look at the skype picture and say I look pretty good for a 53 year old.  I want to portray energy and vibe.  People talk about motivation boards, I don't really have one of those, I do put sayings under the glass on my desk I like to read them when I least expect it.  I accept that I'm a mom with an empty nest and better get busy doing something for myself. I like to journal, and if I'm going to work on losing weight, I have to journal my food,  keeping track of amounts.  Food journaling is the biggest factor in weight loss I believe.  Its important to be aware of what and how much you intake.  Know where your mistakes and successes are.  And if every once in awhile you write feelings and thoughts down, that's OK too.  It can play insight to what's happening in your healthy journey.

More Zumba training coming up!

Early august I went to Zumba training and had a blast.  In just a few weeks I will be doing some additional training to become a Zumba Gold instructor.  I'm really excited to take this class, as I have some students that I train, that aren't too sure about choreography, but this will be easier for them to adapt too.
      I also just finished studying materials to become a Zumba circuit instructor.  I haven't looked at a Curves to teach yet, and most of the ones around us have instructors, so it would be enlisting as a sub, or trying to start a second class, However with my experience and training as a fitness specialist, I'm starting a circuit class with free weights & body weight exercises in the same format at the dance studio I teach at.  I'm really excited to start this class next week.
      I've been taking  classes around town from other instructors still as it makes me feel like there's always a learning opportunity and its nice to take class without having to think what the next step is, or is everybody else looking like they are doing ok?
     My daughter leaves in a couple weeks, and I'm getting ready to go back into teaching schedule at the school, so it may be just a bit before I have time to share. Just FYI hubs and I went to Kauai for 2 weeks to stay with family and have a vacation together.  I worked on wearing my arm band and trying hard to not enjoy too many tropical drinks.  We swam and hiked, and toured a lot. The 2 day air trips, kept my steps up.  Especially the 6 hour overlays.  IT was screaming hot in Honolulu and the air- conditioning was not working inside the terminal buildings.  We walked and walked just trying to find a cool drink, or maybe a restaurant with a fan blowing, OR  a bench with a breeze.  You always wonder if you will walk more or less when on holiday, but I managed most days to keep up between 7 & 10,000 most days.