I’ve gained weight and I really need to get back on track. This last year has been hard for me to maintain the healthy living lifestyle from having so many life-changes, the biggest being quitting my job and going back to school. But I feel like a broken record. I have been saying “I need to get back on track” over and over again for the last year also. But it really is time to face the truth. Time to look at my weight chart…

Weight Over the Last Year (FitBit)



Weight Since June 2009 (Joined Spark People)



And just to be super honest, I’m finally going to share my progress pictures that I took in August (2012).



Obviously what I’m doing now is not working and something needs to be done. I know what I need to do. But I have been finding too many excuses lately.

Excuse #1: My ankle hurts.
This excuse only works for running. It bothers me if I walk or run too much. Side to side movement is also a no go (Insanity, Zumba). But there are so many other things I can do. I can swim (if I would only join the school gym already!). I can try riding a stationary bike. I can weight lift. I can try other types of cardio like boxing. Lately, I’ve needed to concentrate on running for the marathon but in a week and a half, this excuse is invalid.

Excuse #2: I have no time.
I definitely have enough time for a 20 minute workout first thing in the morning. Sure, I often feel guilty for taking the time away from school work but I don’t feel bad taking the time to blog, watch tv, or just be lazy.

Excuse #3: I am too tired/I don’t feel well.
Ok, I really don’t feel right most of the time, it gets a little ridiculous sometimes. But we all know exercise makes us feel better right? Well, not for me, not always. But that’s no excuse either. Again, I could suffer through 20 minutes and call it a day. After a while, I’ll get used to working out regularly again.

Now that I know what my problems/excuses are, let’s fix them…

Solution #1: Reprioritize
I wrote a blog a few weeks ago on this topic but I think I was aiming a little too high. I need to reprioritize on a daily basis, not a monthly one. I need to make healthy living a daily priority. This statement almost scares me because I already do a lot of healthy things. But I really need to step it up a notch.

Solution #2: Plan
I have completely stopped planning. Meals are always thrown together last minute. Lunches are very poorly planned, leading to lots of take out (its salads but still, I could save the money too). The biggest part is the workouts for me. I really need a schedule of workouts, and not just “Strength Training” or “Cardio” on the calendar but more like “This Specific DVD/Workout/Routine”. Getting up and knowing exactly what you are going to do is so much easier than making decisions when you are half awake.

Solution #3: Think Positive
I really have been a Debbie Downer lately! I’m tired of hearing myself! Time to be positive! To strive for excellence! To be the best I can be! (Any more good clichés?) Your mental attitude is such a HUGE part of weight loss and healthy living. I need to work on driving out negative thoughts and only thinking positive ones again!

So there you have it. I’m facing the truth of my weight gain, my excuses, my problem areas, etc. The first step is always acknowledgement of a problem. Now, I just have to get off my butt and do it already!