Life can get in the way!

Here we are less than two weeks from Christmas and my life is spinning in circles.  The idea of staying on track and not partaking in all the "fun" seems beyond words lame.  On some days it is taking all I have in me to get my sneakers on and head out the door for a run.  It is so very dark and so very quiet and my bed is so very comfy.  Some days that fuels me for a strong run...this morning...that was not the case.  I still got the run done...every last step was a pain in the butt!  Some feel that a fit person enjoys every moment of their ritual and determination.  I enjoy the result of my fit on some days...I despise the process on others....and there are many days where both the process and the results are what drives me and keeps me going.

Peppermint Oreos, warm brie on crusty bread, beer, special holiday themed cupcakes, fritos with sausage dip, cute little cubed cheese...this was my intake on Saturday afternoon.  That was my dinner/lunch that I choose for myself while at this party.  Yes there was a veggie tray and water and fruit...I had none of that.  What I have to come to realize is that life is here and all around us and we cannot beat ourselves up each day that we celebrate.  Life is those extra 5-10 pounds that come and go with us over time.  This is not to say that we do not have times in our life when we are on our A game and those life pounds are no where to be found...but as a rule...they exist and are okay.

For as "fit" as I may be I still love all the wrong food.  I would crush a Starbucks cake pop with a decaf vanilla latte, I would kill for a cheeseburger with a side of fries and onion rings, I would love to grab a candy bar in the checkout aisle, I would gladly have seconds of homemade mac and cheese, pizza, beer, birthday cake, mashed potatoes or a platter of nachos or potato skins.  So how do I say no to these foods and keep myself on target??

I don't.  I let myself eat these high calorie crazy yummy foods.  But I don't eat them all the time.  I realize that we will have occasions where there is not another option and I can do my best to stay in control but the crazy Julie takes over and I am licking the remaining icing off the cake plate, it's not a pretty sight!  Sometimes I am having a third slice of pizza because it's a fun night at home with the kids and you know what...it tastes really good.  I also know that these occasions are not my everyday life.

We love to have burgers and fries, in fact we had them last night for dinner...bacon burgers to boot!  I had french fries that I weighed out for serving size and same goes for the burgers that my husband weighed prior to grilling.  This whole life and those final pounds and staying in our goal zone is really hard to balance but it is not impossible.  Once you come to accept that you want to control your intake and your output and there will be sacrifices made...then results will start to come.  And with results comes will power.  The next time you see that package of peppermint Oreos at Target while your milling about aimlessly...you won't buy them because in the end they are truly not worth it.  Getting your workout in each day is exhausting and at times logistically challenging...so not only do you have to be psyched to work out...you have to have it work in your schedule.  The whole process is so very overwhelming!

So keep the faith...keep chugging along...accept that not every day will be a success...allow life to happen but don't make every day a special occasion.  Stop with the silly excuses, move your body and find an exercise on some level that you can happily do each day.  Know that this is a process and that it may not be a speedy one...know that you are stronger in mind, body and heart than you think you are.  Know that you are an example for others and you are leading the way.  Know that you are capable of change even when it feels like you are up against a brick wall yet again.  The road ahead may seem so very long and daunting but you only need to take one step at a time.  You are not charging to the finish line on day one.  Fall in love with the process and your life and success will come!

Embrace the suck...choose your hard...focus on the change!