The New Thing, the New Swing

natsaan.vox.com/library/
audio/6a00f48cddf9d9000201
101671a752860d.html

I selected this song because it's silly in any language (the words are here if you're interested: www.emilieclairebarlow.c
om/music.php?albumid=1&tra
ckid=3 . The non-English language is Brazilian Portuguese.

But I also selected it because it's different and it shakes things up and that is one of the big ways that I keep myself motivated.

I am, by nature, a rut person. I get something comfortable and I stick with it, long after I've dug a trench in the carpet.

This is not necessarily such an awful thing because, after all, if it keeps me doing right by myself then that's excellent.

But it can get ... dull.

And that's when the trouble starts.

It's the little things first.

* Oh, it's raining out. Can't go for my walk.
* Oh, they put the dressing on the salad instead of the side. I won't bother the server. I'll just eat it this way anyway.
* Oh, I forgot to track my food today. I'll just keep it my head (and then it flies out as a million other things take its place).
* Oh, my sneakers are old. I won't replace them.
* Oh, this old thing used to be big on me. Now it fits again. I'll keep it just in case.
* Oh, this old thing used to fit me. Now it's too small for me.

And on and on and on.

It's very easy to slide down that slope.

But if you shake things up, you get and keep your motivation. How about these internal monologues instead?

* If I hadn't walked today, I wouldn't've seen that hawk.
* I got my cardio planting vegetables today. Can't wait for fresh peas!
* I figured out how to make my own low fat, low salt tomato sauce. Cooking for myself is kinda cool.
* The fishmonger and the butcher and the produce guy all want to help me choose something healthy. They're such nice people.
* The server doesn't mind fixing my salad when I ask nicely. A little extra tip for her doesn't hurt, either.
* I got new sneakers! I'm gonna go break 'em in!
* I bought this top and it seemed like it was made for a child when I first got it. Now it fits!
* My bigger clothes are going to my friends who are also trying to lose weight. I like helping people out.

Here's another way to get and keep motivation: measure yourself as often as you weigh yourself. Don't just rely on the scale for your good news. I personally love numbers and charts and graphs (I'm such a geek) so for me there is really something magical about seeing a graphed slope go down (in a good way, of course). Even for weeks when I haven't lost weight (which includes this one, for those of you keeping score at home), so what? I've lost something like 20" off my belly.

Yeah, you read that right. 2 feet off is coming hard on the heels of that.

That's more fun than any sitting around, and it's tastier than any extra dressing that 'accidentally' got on my salad. That, my friends, is motivation on the rocks, with a twist.

Speaking of a twist, I'm motivated to do a little cardio, which will definitely get my coworkers talking.

Maybe a samba.