Motivation to Diet, Exercise and Tone Up - Why do it?

I have a lot of reasons to diet, to exercise and to tone up. The problem is, I seem to always have some excuse or another for not doing it. I plan, I constantly think about it, and I hate how my clothes feel, and my reflection staring back at me in the mirror makes me feel horrible. 

The time has come to stop procrastinating and make a start. But why bother - why put myself through being hungry, denying myself the snacks and treats, the glasses of wine. Why put myself through aching muscles and sore feet?

This is why:

• I want to feel in control
• I want to feel confident
• I don't want to struggle finding something to wear
• I want to look good in my clothes
• I want to have smooth outlines
• I don't want bulging bits
• I want a toned back
• I do not want a flabby middle
• I do not want to be a Size 16
• I do want to be a Size 12
• I don't want to be embarassed
• I want to be healthy
• I don't want to be overweight

That should be enough - so lets hope so. Will power switched on, I have the choice. Either do something now, and work hard for 30 days and feel a whole lot better, or do nothing, and feel even worse. No brainer really. 

It comes down to either this:

Or this:

This:

Or this:

This:

 Or this:

I can do this :) 

Reasons to Diet #35 - My Weddding!

My reason to stick to my diet number 35 is because of my wedding. Scheduled, but not yet booked I need to get to goal weight before I can even begin to think about my dress.

I have no idea what style I want as I have no idea if what is in my head will look right on my body, until said body is at the right weight. I don't know if my goal weight is going to be the right weight until I get there, and as I never quite manage it, its making it difficult to crack on with my wedding plans.

Now that is a big incentive and should be all the motivation I need this time!

Reasons to Diet #34 - Cheaper insurance and perks

Yes, I recently discovered that because I am with a life insurance company who value good health, if I get to target weight and maintain it, I will get a cheaper insurance.

Not only that, but you also get perks like free cinema tickets and discounts on healthy stuff. Fab. What more reason do I need!!

Reasons to Diet #33 - I want to stop thinking about my weight

My reason to diet #33 is simple - I want to stop thinking about my weight. At times, its all I can think about and it drives me mad! I want to just think about everything else and not have everything come back to thinking about what I weigh.

Its like this - I start to think about holidays and then - bang - my brain locks onto the issue over what I weigh now, what I want to weigh, how long I have from now until then to lose however much weight it is I need to lose. It would be so good to be at the end weight, and not have to go into planning mode over how many pounds I have to lose each week to reach the end weight.

I go shopping and I see something I like and then - boosh - I start thinking I need to lose x amount before I buy this or that. Or I go for a meal and I want a starter and then I have to stop, think about my weight and opt for low fat this, healthy that and I feel like its a grey cloud over me all the time.

So this is why I want to diet - to get to the point where my weight does not rule my conscious mind!

Reasons to Diet #32 - Be a Good Role Model

Number 32: 

My reason to diet #32 is that I want to be a good role model. My step daughter loves her food, but I want to be able to encourage her to be healthy and to exercise.

I feel a bit of a hypocrite if I am overweight and not in shape. Its tough being a step mum as you don't get the bond you get as a biological mum. I didn't give birth to her - she has her birth mum connection and that's great.

I have a different role to play, and being overweight is not a part of the role I want to play. So that is reason number 32 - for my girl.

Reasons to Diet #31 - Show off my piercing

Number 31:

Reason to Diet #31 is that I want to show off my belly piercing!! Yes, I finally got it done, so now I need the body to be able to show it off!!

I don't want it squished up and buried under clothes - I want it to sparkle in the sun.

Reasons to Diet #30 - I want to look good wet

Number 30:

Reasons to Diet #30 is that I want to look good wet.

Yep, no matter how much I can hold it in, patch it up and camouflage when it comes to getting in the water, all bets are off. I want to be able to get in that pool, dive in those waves, and come out looking good instead of coming out looking like I have narrowly avoided the harpoon!!

I want to be as glamourous soaking wet as when I am fully loaded with the war paint and spanx!!

Reasons to Diet #29 - I Want To Enjoy the Sunshine

Number 29:

Reason #29 to Diet is that I want to enjoy the sunshine not dread it.

It breaks down like this - the sun comes out, I panic. I have a desperate hunt through my wardrobe to find something I can be cool enough it whilst not looking like a hippo.

It gets on my nerves. I should be like "yay, sunshine, damn girl". Nope. It fills me full of fear.

This must change!

Reasons to Diet #28 - I want to be free to have a pint!

Number 28:

My next reason to diet - I want to be free to have a pint!!

Imagine its a lovely sunny day, and not being able to just go to the pub, sit in the beer garden and have a cold pint of lager. I used to do it a lot, but then I realised I was overweight and wanted to not be, so I stopped doing it to lose the weight.

The problem is that I spend most of damn summer trying to lose weight and I never get to have that pint!! So I want to stick to my diet, get to goal weight, and stay there.

Then I can have my pint in the sun!!

Reasons to Diet #27 - I will never get my ass in shape sitting on it!

Number 27:

Reason #27 to stick to the plan is simple - I will never get my ass in shape by sitting on it!!

What I am saying is that there is no point sitting around, bemoaning the fact that I am not at goal weight whilst spending my time sitting on my backside. If I want a banging body and to reach goal weight, I have to get up and move and work at it.

Sitting round, enjoying life is great, but it doesn't make for a bikini body!

Reasons to Diet #26 - Losing Weight feels Wonderful

Number 26:

Reason to diet number 26 is how wonderful it feels to lose weight. When you get on the scales, and it has dropped, its a good feeling.

When the pounds start to add up and become half stones it feels great. When you start to drop whole stones and look and feel better, its the best feeling ever.

I need to keep that in mind, as the reverse is also true. When you get on those scales and its gone up, it feels awful.

So, I need to remember how bad it feels when the scales go up and how wonderful it feels when my weight is coming down.

Reasons to Diet #25 - I want to be in control

Number 25:

Reason 25 for sticking to the diet is that I want to be in control and not my body. My mind needs to rule, not my hunger or cravings.

This is the problem - I get the strongest desire to eat crap and drink wine. Or a lovely cold beer and a burger, or crisps, or cheese or cake. Its never good stuff. I give in and then I enjoy it for a few minutes, and then within minutes, I am feeling fat and horrible, and the impact lasts for days.

I am tired of being ruled by cravings for fatty foods and I want to be in control. The longer I stick to the plan, the more I form new habits to replace the unhealthy ones and the better I feel mentally because then I am in the driving seat and in control.

Reasons to Diet #24 - I want to be proud of my body

Number 24: 

Reasons to stick to my diet #24 is that I want to be proud of my body. I am 40 something years old, and not once have I felt totally proud of how I look.

Don't get me wrong - sometimes I look ok and I scrub up well, but put me in a bikini or a pair of shorts and panic sets in. I resign myself to how I look thinking "when I reach goal weight" and then it never happens.

Not this time!!! This time, I am going to exercise, I am going to diet, I am going to reach goal and why? Because I want to be proud of my body.

Reasons to Diet #23 - I want toned thighs

Number 23:

Reason to stick to my Diet #23 I want toned inner thighs My legs are toning up a bit, slowly. I am developing some good definition, but clearly, my inner thighs are not being worked in quite the same manner, as they are refusing to change.

My inner thighs are flabby and unsightly, and nothing - not squats, not Zumba, not running, seems to be making a difference. Losing weight will help of course. It won't tone them up, but it will remove some of the fat.

However, in order to accomplish this goal, I need to stick to my diet, every day, and stick to the exercise plan but also add some specialist moves to tone these bad boys up!!

So that is the reason - if I do not stick to it, I shall have flabby inner thighs forever!! Not having that!! :

Reasons to Diet #22 - Fed up of being fed up

Number 22: 

This reason for sticking to my diet is because I am fed up of being fed up about my weight and my body. I go on a diet, lose a bit, go on holiday or to the wedding - whatever the event that prompted the weight loss.

I pile it on again, and it all starts all over again. I never maintain - I only ever lose or gain. The more fed up I get, the harder I try, but then when I get to the end of the path, I go overboard everytime. I put it on and I feel fed up. I eat what I want, but then I feel fed up when I am fat.

So, that's reason number 22 - I do not want to be fed up about this anymore. It is just ridiculous and it has to stop.

Reasons to Diet #21 - I Want to go to Posh Restaurants

Number 21:

Reasons to diet 21 - I want to go to posh restaurants!!

What I mean is, that I want to get dressed up in glamorous clothes looking amazing and go out to posh restaurants. I do go out, to lovely places, but I always feel frumpy.

I end up overeating- starters, mains and puddings, washed down with wine. Calorific? Hell yes. Taste good? Damn right!!

The problem is the getting ready and how I feel about me. I want to look nice, to feel confident. I do not want to look like the person who orders everything on the menu!! I want to be that person that people look at eating a three course meal thinking where does she put it, rather than blimey she should rein it in a bit!!

So that is today's reason, so that one day, I will look like the person I want to be :)

Reasons to Diet #20 - Scales have not dropped

Number 20:

Today's first reason to stick to my diet is that the scales have not dropped much on recent weigh ins. It makes me really fed up. Sometimes, the weight staring back at me is so harsh, that it puts me in a bad mood for the day.

Sometimes it doesn't bother me what I weigh, as sometimes I can block it out. Then I weigh in and see it, and realise I have been kidding myself that I have been dieting, kind of half halfheartedly trying instead of really trying, but the scales do not lie.

When the scales have dropped, it feels great. When they haven't, for any reason - sometimes it just doesn't budge when I have really tried, its a horrible feeling. My reason to diet is that I want the scales to drop so that I can get that good feeling, instead of the scales not dropping and how that makes me feel. 

Reasons to Diet #19 - counting down to Holidays

Number 19:

This reason is simple. I am counting down until my next holiday. I have to make each day count!!

Some nights I could easily give in. The last thing in the world I want for my tea is diet measly portions. But I have to do it. Why? Because I want to be the best I can be when I get on that plane.

Ok, so miracles don't happen, but I can at least be unbloated and more streamlined than if I pig out at this point!!

Reasons to Diet #18 - I want rid of my muffin top!

Number 18:

Today's reason to stick to the diet is that I want rid of the muffin top!!

I am losing weight, I am sticking to the exercise and yet still, that unsightly bulge over my waistband when I sit down remains. I don't know how slim I will need to get to in order to get rid of this damned bit of flab, but I am determined.

So that is today's reason. No more muffins - either the food variety or the overhang!! :)

Reasons to Diet #17 - I want to drink wine!

Number 17:

Reason to diet number 17 - I want to have some wine!!

Yes, when I reach goal weight, or holiday, whichever comes first, I can finally have some wine!! But only, and I repeat, only, if I get under that stone mark!! I have to earn it.

So there is another reason. Bribery. Works a treat with me :)