SPARK ON! Things that make you HUMMMM!

Walking with my 2 newly adopted dogs

Trying on clothes that I could not fit into at my highest weight & finding that they are now too big!
Also my faith keeps me strong & able to face each day.

It is always awesome when our kids come to our support! That is precious.

I have started taking my kids on nature walks....it is great bonding time and it's fun...and they are working out and don't know it!

My 2 year old....

I was doing my yoga stretches yesterday and she came up to me and sat down and started streteching with me.

After my routine, my daughter looks at me and says

"Good Job Mommy!"

lol... talk about heartwarming.

This is perhaps a little broader motivational point for me as I have many more intimate motivations but let me tell you something.....

This summer I went to the New Hampshire Special Olympics with some of my co-workers to help volunteer with our company, and it was a very motivational experience for me....I've never seen a bigger group of people that could do so many different things that people probably thought they wouldn't be able to do.....it definately showed me that anyone can do anything that they really want to....as long as they really want to do it and work hard to get to the finish line.....

I can do anything I really want to do as long as I think I can...and as long as I put forth the effort to get it done!

i also love reading the success stories.

my family is a big motivator. i'm also really happy with the way exercise is helping me manage my stress. i really LOVE feeling good, and keeping my head calm. the way my clothes are starting to fit makes me happy, too. i don't feel strained and bloated anymore. every time i overeat i feel strained, bloated and generally awful.

literally, lifting weights makes my muscles hum for the better part of a day. i don't lift a lot - low weights for two sets - but every muscle i challenge in that way does hummmmm me through the rest of my day.

Edited by: TRUERAY at: 9/19/2009 (08:18)

my motivation is that even after a six day illness, being bed and settee riden and no exercise at all i have not gained anything.. I am hoping to have a little go on the exercise bike today!! yipee

Today, my motivattion is the 1/2 pound I lost in the last two weeks ... baby steps taken, but I am still *Sparking*.

My son is my motivation. He is my only child and is 9 years old and swims competitively. He puts in so many hours of hard work and to see him swim the butterfly is a thing of beauty.

I watch him swim and think I made that (with some help of course. ) If he can give that kind of effort then so can I. Obviously my genes can't be all that bad. Ha!

I want to swim with him and have him teach me what he knows. That's my goal.

The biggest thing that motivates me would be my family.
I don't get that much support from them, it's just that I want to be there for them. If I don't take care of myself, I can't take care of them.

I'm so glad I found SP. It's just what I needed to keep me motivated and on track. It's been a long time since I've been able to, and made an honest effort, to eat right and exercise.

I love reading all the "success" stories. It helps me to want to keep working at it, and encourages me that it is possible for me.

I just wanted to say that one of the things that really makes me SPARK ON are the encouraging posts and responses to blogs that I am seeing from many of you....we travel this journey together, and sometimes we have to help carry one another....that is a true sign of people in this with the right mindsets and with solid intentions...

You inspire me..thank you.

All the motivations posted are so true. I want to be healthier and more fit. Also, I'm a single mother to a teenager and I don't want her to be embarrassed that she has a fat mother (I'd rather embarrass her in other ways!) She's into fitness and eating right so we do that together. She always asks me if what she's eating is healthy or if the food I cook is and I've told her that everything in the house is good to eat (no cookies or chips here!) So she's my main motivation and she's very supportive.

Have to agree with some other posters- my family is also my main motivation. I want to set the best example that I can for my kids. I want them and my husband to be proud of what I have accomplished!

what motivates me is a range of things- the fact that whilst I have gained 2.5 stone my fiance has lost a stone as he is a very keen cyclist, reading and seeing others progress and achievements on SP and also the drive i have in me to be where I want to be weight and fitness wise. I have been more motivated in just this one week being on sparkpeople and I am determined to keep at it. I want to see my tracker go down!!

my family dose it for me
almost 3 year ago I lost my mom she was way over weight and was diabetic so I don't want my kids to lose me as young as i am to lose my mom i miss her so much i still have a vary hard time with it on some day but i do know she is in haven looking down at me and cheering me on thank you mom and to my father in heaven

Thanks.
My oldest (4 years old) is a VERY picky eater. I've discovered over the last few days though, that he really loves fruit. He's a grazer and only eats a few bites of anything at a time, so I try to just keep lots of fresh fruits and veggies available all the time for him. I keep a veggie tray and some fruit salad in the fridge and he knows that he can go in there and get some whenever he wants.
My youngest (2) will eat nearly anything, so I don't have so many worries there. I just want them both to get more active. I work second shift and I spend much of the morning dozing on the couch because they get up so early. Therefore they spend a lot of time watching tv. I'm getting my schedule changed though, so we'll see how that works out.

Trust me on this, Crissy, if you do it-they will do it. Maybe not right away, but they will. I started my lifestyle change nearly a year ago. About a month ago my 15 year old started really monitoring his portions and watching his nutritional balance. He even asks me to check some of his food choices on the nutrition tracker before he decides what to eat.
YOU are the BEST example your kids will ever follow...whether they tell you so or not! YOU CAN DO THIS!

My children motivate me. I don't know how I am supposed to set a good example for them, ask them to be active, ask them to eat their fruits and veggies if I don't do it myself. I want to be accountable for my actions so that they will grow up with a healthy sense of self and accountability for their own habits. I don't want to be the reason that my children eat nothing but preprocessed food and do nothing but sit on the couch and play video games. I want to instill a love the the outdoors, and of activity. How can I do those things for them, when I don't do them for myself???
That's what Sparks me.

I have this incredible faith that we are made to live abundant lives. While I have always believed that, I was perfectly content to veg and watch sports for hours.

SO what spurs me on is this increased energy level that I now have with weight loss, increased exercise and smarter eating habits.

I was discouraged so many times in the past when people would say the older we get, the slower our metabolism....ummm, guess what peoples??? My metabolism at 48 is shocking me.

This is an absolutely great ride! I can hardly wait to see what is around the corner!

Speaking of Kodak moments, I take pictures to document my process. Unfortunately, I didn't think of this at the beginning, when I really committed to my lifestyle change. But I started taking them my first month into it. (This goes for taking your measurements, too.)

So that is one piece of advice I try to give to everyone. Take pictures-and don't forget the ones of individual body parts. You don't necessarily have to share all of them with us. But I guarantee that if you post your progress, people will notice. That is a HUGE motivator, especially if you're having a tough day or week, etc.
before after

Remember, y'all, this is a lifelong journey, not a sprint or even a marathon. It is VERY important that we don't lose sight of the KODAK moments that life has to offer us everyday.

KODAK moments = Things that Inspire you, that MOTIVATE you to not only recognize your potential, but to STRIVE for it!

So, tell us, what motivates you to try harder? It could be anything...people, health, books, songs, blogs, stories....chances are, if this motivates you, it can motivate others!

Talk to us...our ears are wide open!



Edited by: CALIMAN1 at: 8/5/2009 (12:32)