Check-in time -

I'm down 2 this week which gives me a total of 10 pounds gone. My reward for the 10# mark was that I could try on some jeans that I couldn't fit into before. Well, I was able to get them buttoned and zipped, but I had to lie on the bed to do it. I'm actually wearing them today even though they are really too small, but what the heck!

We had a Pre-SuperBowl party at the office today, and I was pretty good for the most part ... had the insides of a grinder(sub/hoagie), some chili without the beans, and 2 pieces of lo-carb French Silk Pie (5.5g per piece). I LOVE that French Silk Pie! Only 2 days til the SuperBowl ... GO Patriots!!!

OK, goals for last week: I met the exercise goals except for the riding which was a victim of the weather. I got in more walking yesterday than I planned so I was very happy about that. But it was so cold and the second walk was into the wind the whole way; plus the amount of slippery snow was really bad and each time I pushed off the ground with my foot, my foot would slip back a few inches. So I ended up having to take a lot more steps to get from point A to point B. My face was numb and I was completely exhausted by the time I got to the car. It probably didn't help that I was hungry, too.

Goals for this week: I just paused while writing this email to call up the Y and set up an appt to start their 12 week personal training program. I have an appt for Wed evening. So my goals will be in transition this week. However, I will at least walk to and from class (2 days a week) (unless it's raining), plus riding and the Y.

Extra Credit:
Intrinsic - Like pha1226, I feel like my luck is running out. I've abused this body for 40 years, and it's starting to catch up with me a little at a time. In addition, I want to be able to walk from the University commuter lot to class (includes a big, long hill) without being out of breath. I want to go on hikes and go geocaching in non-urban areas. I want to look like someone who BELONGS on a horse (one of those fit, lithe people).

Extrinsic - Probably the biggest extrinsic motivator for me is seeing my mother in her wheelchair and all the trouble she has and things she can't do. All this because she abused her body for too many years and didn't take care of the diabetes. Her father had Type II diabetes and was bed ridden for years after some strokes, my mother has had strokes, and all of us kids have her same body type. We're all on the same path she has taken.

And Monika is absolutely correct in that this type of motivation is not nearly as strong as internal motivators. It's simply too easy to say "I have time", or "I take better care of myself than she did (yeah, right)", or any number of other BS lines. In other words, do the same things my mother did her whole life until it truly became too late to fix it.