Persistence vs. Motivation

Guys – I had my first full weekend off this past weekend – the first time in months!  It was so nice leaving the office at 5:00 on Friday knowing I didn’t have to work until this morning.  So much time for activities!

I have to share my new favorite breakfast.  I had it both Saturday and Sunday for brunch, and it’s delicious.  9 tablespoons of egg whites (the last amount before it gets to 2 smart points!), 1 shredded zucchini, 1/8 cup finely shredded taco cheese, hot sauce omelet (1 for the egg whites, 2 for the cheese) with a giant apple with a drizzle of PB2 mixed with cinnamon and vanilla extract.  This giant plate of food is only 4 smart points and so filling.

Hannah and I ran around like crazy Saturday morning because we had Christmas with my Mom and my sisters family, and um, let’s just say we waited until the last minute to get out shopping done.  But I have to say,  I think we did really well – almost as if we were in hyper focus because of the time crunch.  Before I knew it, it was time to hit the road, and because Hannah was driving, we picked up some time on the road because we were running a tad bit behind.  Freshly showered, make up on – even lipstick!

We had such a fun night – I laughed until I cried, and then laughed again.  What Tony used to call the “unseen humor!”  We decided on Mexican Fiesta because everyone could pick and choose depending on their likes and dislikes – my nephew is vegetarian and gluten free, Hannah and Jacob are doing low carb – you get the idea.  I made my beef barbacoa – so good!  This time I made it with a bottom round roast and it was so tender and delicious.

My plate:  one point tortilla, beef, a little bit of cheese, tomato – I had 24 points going into dinner and I kept a piece of paper to include the chips, guacamole – basically everything I ate that night.

I hadn’t had any wine since Christmas day, but I brought a trusty friend to me to the party – my new Weight Watchers wine glass.  Each line represents ounces so you know exactly how many points you are drinking.  I had 8 ounces of wine for 7 smart points.  You will be so proud of me that I actually counted the points for my wine! 

My sister gave me the cutest plaque – it’s hanging in my kitchen now.  I wish I would have had this when Tony was alive

This is our “before” picture so we can compare to New Years next year.  I actually didn’t take a lot of pictures at my Mom’s house, but before we all left, we took a group picture – except for Mark, my sisters son who never wants to be in any pictures.  Thanks for being the photographer!  I told everyone to take a silly picture – but I guess my sister and I were the only ones who did – this picture makes me laugh!!  I don’t know what the hell we were doing with our hands?!  Thanks for hosting Momma – it was a fun night!

As we were driving home, I took my piece of paper of everything I ate and drank and entered it into my WW app – it came in at exactly 24 points!

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I had been thinking about motivation lately and how to continue the momentum you have at the first of the year when you declare yourself “back on!” and meal plan, exercise, etc.  I wondered what made some people more successful than others, and when I stumbled upon this post on Weight Watchers connect, it really hit home with me.  While motivation is a factor, persistence is the name of the game.  If someone knows how to “tag” someone on connect let me know, because I wanted to give this woman credit who wrote this – “Fit Foodie” – thank you for this, and I hope this helps others to keep their head in the game to reach their goals.

“Here’s the thing, motivation has ebbs and flows.  It can literally be affected positively and negatively by ANYTHING…good or bad choices… hormones…an unexpected complement…an old photo…the weather…a strange look from the guy who poured your morning cup of joe…the way your two-year old acted before breakfast on a Tuesday morning.

We all have days OR weeks OR months when motivation just seems like it is nowhere to be found.  What gets us through those times is persistence. 

Persistence is a character trait that we build upon every.single.day.  Persistence is something that is learned and something that you can achieve.  Persistence in the face of struggle creates perseverance.  I creates a person who is rock-solid-strong.

Persistence. Is. Earned.”

It brought me back to the only time in recent memory that I stuck with anything, and that was when I did my summer of Insanity in 2013.   I did it 100 days in a row!

There were many many days that I didn’t want to.  I was tired.  It was hot out.  Tony wanted to watch a movie, but once I got the momentum going, I couldn’t stop.  I have that same feeling now.  I have absolutely no reason not to give this lifestyle 100% of my attention.  I have no distractions, no little kids around, so while I feel a bit selfish saying this, it’s MY time.  Time to put myself first and not look back.  I am not going to lie, the wine tasted good and I contemplated stopping on the way home, but decided a cup of tea would be the better choice when I got home. 

So here’s to all of us being persistent when the motivation wanes.  We’ve got this!  #livefully #createthelifeofyourdreams