quote:

How have your motivations changed from the time you first started to where you are now?

When I initially started losing weight, it was about getting healthy, being a positive role model for dd, and being able to even just keep up with her.

Now that I'm in a totally different place, it's about not being critical with myself, feeling comfortable in my own skin and having a good sense of balance (and I find that having my nutrition in balance does help my overall sense of well being).

quote:

Can you think of anything you might face down the road that would change what you're doing now?

Over the past five + years, the one constant is that life does throw curve balls when you least expected it. Family crises, deaths, injuries, etc... What I've learned is that I still can adapt and maintain and that life skill will take me far. The more I succeed, the easier it becomes and the more I trust myself and the whole process.

quote:

How do you keep things fresh?

I do something at least slightly different every day in terms of workout. I also do the things that I enjoy - running outdoors and lifting being at the top of the list. I'm also committed to try indoor rock climbing when I'm cleared and start skiing again next year : )

I have to admit one thing hasn't changed for me, and that is my insistence that the scale keep moving down. I'm all for non-scale victories, but that number needs to keep moving down.

That being said, I do spend a lot more time focusing on what I can do that I never imagined being able to do. Running might be the newest, shiniest short term success that will keep getting better, but I keep thinking about my sense of accomplishment and confidence that I can tackle anything. (Although some things might need a ton of practice to succeed at.)

I'm mostly dreaming of the day where I can finally stop focusing on losing weight and just maintaining. But that is still quite a way off. I have lots of goals that I'm working on, like my career change, hoping to the Disney half marathon either in 2009 or 2010, and to just be part of a relay team for a marathon this year. But it's nice to just wait and see what I can accomplish that I've never even thought about. I'd never have guessed I'd be where I am today in my fitness and self confidence levels.

Hopefully I've built enough variety into my life to keep things fresh and interesting, but I also am aware that I need to watch for signs of burnout. I get very caught up in one or two things and overdo them if I'm not careful. (This can also apply to what I'm reading, what I'm cooking, and my hobbies.) Plus, once the snow stops coming back after melting, I can finally get back into some of my favorite warm weather hobbies.