Skating Uphill - July 2015
by Judith Lawrenson
“Let’s talk about the big M O. No, I do not mean your MOJO; I mean the big motivation and where it comes from.”
It is July now, and we’ve all had on our bathing suits and gasped in shock. Most of us have toughed it out at the beach or sandbar, anyway. July is peak season for getting motivated, but what exactly does it take to get us off the sofa and out of the air-conditioned house to actually get moving and burn off those wine coolers and ice cream? (Perhaps, you can tell, by the previous sentence, that I’ve been indulging in wine coolers and ice cream.)
What does it take to get motivated? While it seems to take nothing less than magic, in my case, it’s an easy question. To my horror, I have regained 13 pounds of the 40 I worked so hard to lose. I can tell you from my heart—which is now surrounded by fat—this really hurts physically and especially emotionally. I cannot button the top button of my “bigger” pants, my knees hurt, and worst of all my pride is wounded, as I have blatantly had the nerve to tell YOU not to do that.
Where do I go from here? Maybe you’re in the same position? I hope back to goal weight. I went to Walmart and bought a black one-piece bathing suit and I have hit the pool. I love water aerobics and find it enjoyable. I also started wearing my Fitbit again. I was not a happy camper the first few days, but I’m better now.
In addition, I have returned to my tried-and-true fruit smoothies instead of ice cream sundaes! I blend a container of 80-calorie Greek yogurt with six ice cubes, a banana, berries and 6-ounces diet cranberry juice (five calories per serving). I promise, it is refreshing, low calorie and yummy.
What else do I do to muster up motivation? This is pretty drastic, but it works. I challenge you to take off your clothes—all of them— and turn sideways in front of a full-length mirror. Like what you see? I didn’t either, especially since I carry a lot of my excess bulge in the belly. That look-see was another kick in the butt to get up, get moving, and change my ways.
More bad news for me—I’m a notorious snacker. My plan to not allow my snacking to get out of control is to do what I have advised everyone else to do in this column for years: Make my decisions at the grocery store. I like Weight Watchers ice cream bars and many of them are only 100 calories. However, I have to be sure not to eat the whole box in a day. If you can’t control this yet, stay away! I also like Atkins bars. Many of them have over 15 grams of protein, are filling and taste good—try the caramel nut bars. I also like plain pretzel chips with salsa or peanut butter.
Try making your own low-calorie popsicles using a combination of diet cranberry juice and orange juice; for something different pour the juice mixture into ice trays, freeze and use them as ice cubes in other summer drinks. Because this is the South, I’m going to remind you about a favorite around here: an Arnold Palmer on a hot day. That is the lemonade and ice tea mixture that is so refreshing and perfect with the flavored ice cubes.
Motivation comes in all shapes and sizes. I love to read in magazines about the woman who lost 120 pounds because her boyfriend called her "fatso", or the teen who wanted to go to the prom so she lost 60 pounds by April of her senior year. Those stories can be very inspiring. My story and my motivation are about my health. Sure, I love to wear a size 10 and look good, but even of greater importance to me, is living a “feel-good life.” I have used the term “kick in the butt” and I really mean it. I don’t care what it takes. We can and should live our best life. You deserve it, my dear. So do I.
If you have any tips or secrets please share and I will pass them on in our nest issue.
If you have questions or comments about “Skating Uphill” please feel free to contact Judith Lawrenson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..