So I was all prepared to have tons of snow keep up in the house for days. The electric company warned about extended power outages. I had all the necessary supplies. My husband was prepared for clearing the snow away from the sidewalk and driveway. And then the “snow event” was a “no event”. It did snow but it was gone in a matter of hours. Today, no one would know it had snowed yesterday.

What does that have to do with my weight loss? I figured that I should wait and save my energy should I need to help with the clearing of the mounds of snow. Well, you see how that turned out. But what happened is that I broke my routine. And it was so much easier to try to convince myself today that I didn’t need to get on the treadmill. I was already settled in from work. I could just relax. And then I realized – the beginning of the excuses. I got up and changed into my workout clothes immediately.

While I was in mid-workout, my husband walks in the room and asks “Having fun?” Really? Is it not evident that I do not like this one bit? I would much rather be doing anything else. How do people like this kind of exercise? But I know that I have to get in shape and this is the method I chose, so on with it.

I’m still eating well and not snacking during the day. So I am surfing the web to find other outlets to distract me. This evening I found that there are downloads of music, games, and a book that are totally free until March 15th. I will use these to pass the time if I start thinking about snacking.

Snow or no snow, I have to stick to my routine and work on building that habit so it becomes second nature. I need to come home, change into workout clothes, and get on that treadmill. It’s a promise I have to make to myself.

Developing new habits is hard work.

Oh my word! As I write this I am still out of breath. I finished my walk on the treadmill and came downstairs to blog about it. Pardon me while I sweat. My heart is pounding out of my chest. What did I expect? I don’t know but I sure didn’t expect to have my butt kicked by walking on a treadmill. My feet are tingling from being trapped into walking shoes and forced to keep pace on that diabolic machine. My workout clothes are sticking to me and I feel like a sweat ball.

Hang on. I’m going to lie down on the floor for a few minutes…

Seriously, I had to lie down on the floor to catch my breath. Wow.
Really. Out. Of. Shape.

But I did it. Good for me! I need to stay motivated. I have the proof that I worked out (besides the sweaty clothes and the dripping wet hair).

I have to keep reminding myself that this is only the beginning. If I don’t stay motivated, I will stop like I have in the past. I texted a friend and told her about my accomplishment. She texted me back “U rock! Proud of u!” Now that’s the kind of friends I need. If you don’t have those kinds of friends, comment on the post and I will be your cheerleader. Without support, we tend to fall into old habits. I recognize that in myself. It’s a tough thing to realize that I don’t have the willpower to stay on top of this exercise thing.

Willpower can be depleted. Stress is the biggest reason for me. When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, I just can’t motivate myself to get things – anything – done. I’ve read other sources that say that willpower is like a muscle where it can be overused and need time to be replenished. What I need to do is find the balance in my life. Sounds like a lofty goal but it’s what I need to do. For me, I need to actively decide if I need to do something, what other thing do I not do. I can’t do it all. And I have to stop doing other things, like sitting on my keister and watching TV like a slug. I could read a book, play with the dogs, or exercise. (I just need to keep reminding myself.)

Now that I have cooled down, I need to eat dinner and feel human again. Food is a very important part of weight loss. (No kidding, you say.) But not just any food. Good food. Tasty food. Filling food. I don’t want to eat and then 10 minutes feel like I haven’t eaten. I’m not planning to eat just salads and bean sprouts. That’s just not enough food for me. I am going to find good meals that I will want to eat and will help me lose weight and provide the fuel to keep exercising.

Next – Putting it all together