Commitment....

I've been about as committed to losing weight and living an active, healthy life as I have about blogging it.

My efforts have been sporadic at best, and I will start my days with the best of intentions on the food front, only to find myself with a handful of skittles as I'm headed to bed a 10:30.

As I said before, I've been contemplating joining a gym, despite the additional cost of doing so. But I've come to a realization this last week... If I am not committed to doing it at home with the equipment I have here, what makes me think I am going to be committed to going someplace else and working out?

The bottom line is that if it's really important to me I will make it a priority and let go of all the excuses I let get in my way. And I do have a LOT of excuses. But the fact that I keep using them tells me that I have NOT made weight loss and healthy living a priority, so if I want to make a change, it's not the workout location that ought to change, but my attitude and commitment level towards this goal of mine.

And if it's not a goal of mine right now, then I need to take it off the table and quit putting mental energy towards it.

So... what is it going to take for me to be committed?? A deadline? An exercise plan? An eating plan? A support group? Therapy?? (Ha ha! Okay, I was just kidding on that last one.) What am I afraid of? A lot of the things I learned at Career Conference apply to all areas of my life, including this one. "Do what scares you, and then it won't." What am I afraid of? Exercising and being uncomfortable doing it? Setting a goal and failing at it? Being called fat at the family reunion? (Oh yes, this last one is true!!) If it's about failing at my goal, then I just need to remember that "Attitude + Action = Achievement" If I put for the effort, with the right attitude, then I can let go of the results, because I have done what I need to. Let go of the number on the scale and just do what I said I would do. I need to be a "Woman of my Word" and follow through when I set a goal! If I say that I'm going to drink 2 liters of water today, I need to drink 2 liters of water today. Period. I must be true to my word, even if my word is only to myself. I must recommit daily, not just commit today and think that I will feel the same way in a week, forcing myself to live out a commitment I made a while back and forgot about. I need to make sure I am committed TODAY. Every day. And if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well, with all my heart. I don't have to exercise 24/7, but if I say I'm going to exercise for 30 minutes, I need to give it my absolute ALL for those 30 minutes. I need to be true to my word, not trying to cut corners.

I have not been committed to weight loss. But I think it's time I am.

And I'll admit, committing to weight loss scares me, because what if I fail? What if I don't make it? What if my grandmother calls me fat?!

But if I do what scares me, then it will stop scaring me. So I'm going to commit. I am committed. Not to you, or to the scale, or to my grandmother, but I am committed TO ME, for me, to do what I say I am going to do when it comes to eating right and exercising and doing what I know I need to do in order to lose the weight.

So here it is, my commitment...

I, Elizabeth Wickland, am committed to being a woman of my word. I am committed NOT to set a goal until I am willing to give it my all to achieve it. An when I do set a goal, I commit to myself to do what needs to be done to accomplish that goal.