Motivation - What drives you?

[JaeGee]

Well it's been about 5 1/2 months now that I have been trying to lose weight.

I started at 274lbs and am now at 249lbs.
Went from 23-24%bf to 16-17%bf.

But lately, for the past month or so I have been in a lull. I still diet fairly well, except I lack motivation to actually prepare food. I used to just whip up some salmon or chicken for dinner, and compliment that with some rice, but now it's sort of search for a meal or my gf will cook.

At the gym I find myself not doing sets near the end of my workout. Instead of 3 sets I will just do 2. I still get a descent workout but I hate not finishing the next day when there is no reason to have not finished.

I am still in a cutting phase, I am not totally out of the loop of being lost but I feel myself getting to where I get lazy and I need some motivation in some way shape or form to finish my cut.

The food aspect I am not sure about, but does the gym sessions laziness might have some factor in that I am not taking ephedrine/caffeine now, and haven't for 2 weeks. I am starting again as soon as bb.com sends me the shipment. I work 8 hours a day M-F and I go to the gym immediately after work, maybe the ephedrine/caffeine gave me that extra boost that I don't have presently?

In any case, I also have progress pictures from February 6, 2006 to my current pics taken May 6, 2006.

I haven't changed my weight since May 6. Which is also disconcerning but if I get motivation from some source I'm sure I can keep going.

PICS!
OLD: Feb 6, 2006
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...nt_feb0606.JPG
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...de_feb0606.JPG

NEW: May 6, 2006
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...nt_may0606.jpg
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...de_may0606.jpg

Please let me know what you think of my progress.

Thanks!

[K20A2]

Never be content, always strive for the goal that ALMOST seems un-attainable.

Change things up, find new excercises and machines to do. Tell your close friends that are interested in your progress your goal for the next month every month so when they ask you want to answer that you did it.

You BF #'s don't look right either, I'd add about 3-4% to both before and after figures IMO......but I'm no expert.

70% what you eat
20% workout
10% supplementation
is the priority I give things

[JaeGee]

Well I just started the new 12 week cutting summer contest and my goals are fairly unattainable.

But you might be right a new routine in the gym might get me out of going and doing the same damn thing week after week. Eventhough I do change things around a bit just because I go to a crowded gym and being able to do exactly what you want is not possible.

The BF%s are by my records accurate, I did the calipers at home many many times, had the trainers at 24 hour do it pre-workout, and did that stupid wrist, weight, measurement thing that is on bb.com and all of them pointed to between 16-17%. I think it's because I am a fairly strong individual and hold alot of my fat around my mid section like most.

[skelooth]

What motivates?

The undieing challenge of change. Knowing that every day will be met head on with the force of a raging bull. Purpose, Direction, knowing where I stand physically amongst my peers. I thrive on and love being the big guy, I love compliments from strangers about my muscles. I love the unwaivering dedication that spills over into all aspects of my life. I want to be a monster, no, I AM a monster. This is not about losing weight for me, this is about survival of the fittest adapted to modern lifestyle. This is me being better than people who have been disrespectful in the past.

What drives me? THE FIGHT TO EXCEED ALL KNOWN BOUNDRIES.

[lifequest]

Well if you ask for a kick in the a$$ I will gladly provide!!

What the hell is this mopey attitude? Seriously, maybe I was just inserting a whiny voice when I shouldn’t have but reading that made me think of the way a kid would sound when his mom says “Clean your room Johny!!” “awwwww maaaaan…I don’t wana” that’s the tone you had wasn’t it.

STOP THAT!!

Now I want you to think of whatever the hell it was that happened to you to make you get so determined that you got someone to take a picture of you with a newspaper(a humbling experience to be sure). Now think back to that moment and if you quit now you will slowly but surly drift back to where you were…which would suck

So what to do?
read this and do what it says

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=533405

Also start a journal and log everything on here we will hold you accountable and it will show you how your “lull” is most likely worse then you think.

Quit this defeatist talk and grow a pair, get your **** together and get’er done--LQ

[brakemasterjay]

I agree with SKEL but also one thing that helped me is pictures of myself. something to look at and say what the fu^k id i do and i dont want to o back there. I'm pretty sure this helped my buddie skel aswell in the begining. But keep your eye on the prize and dont look back.... Good luck, nice progress already...

[AlwaysInjured]

Well just to make this quick, I read your post and had to respond to it (even though I'm walking out the door for a final right now).

I currently weight 197 (starting at 249lbs, and goal is 185), my motivation is that I live in southern california... and right now it's summer... you know what that means? the Honey's are comin out!

While I do often get that dissapointing "I just want to quit, go to In-n-out or Pedro's Tacos (or all you can eat sushi) I realize that I've lost a ton of weight so far, and I don't want to gain it all back, I never want to go back to what I was.

Maybe Change your program up (I change mine up every 4-6 weeks), take 1 cheat meal if you need it, and go back on the trail!

~James

P.S. One other motivation is not having my buddies grab my Man Boobs and say "Oh so soft"

[kycat2007]

I just started getting some of those compliments from others saying man you look like you lost some weight in your face.
You need motivation. I would say that you are probably a XXL shirt kinda guy. Go out and buy yourself a XL shirt and put it on. It may be tight but use that as your motivation. In a few months, buy a large.

Compliments from others are not needed but they make you feel good.

I would check on the BF% as well. I have posted some pictures and I use the hand held monitor at the gym. I weigh 194lbs and I am 5'8". I have a good amount of lean muscle. The monitor says I am 25.9%. They say it can be off usually by 3-4%. That being said I would say you are in the mid 20's. I would get a water bf% if you are really concerned.

[Staberella]

This is what usually keeps me motivated, the time between now and your goals are going to pass whether you sit on your duff eating chips or if you're in the gym giving those weights hell. Think about it, you can wake up one morning a few months from now and have the body of your dreams or you can wake up one day and realize that you've failed.

[rizoN17]

What keeps me motivated:

In 3 months I've become one of the most muscular kids in my school. Nobody I know has acheived as many gains as me in sucha short time. I went from fat to skinny my sophmore year, and skinny to muscular my senior year. Nobody in my high school has made such big transformations.

Oh yeah, and I can't wait for the look on my ex gf's face when she sees that I'm not fat, I'm ripped

[JaeGee]

Heh I liked skel's for its direct to the point nature, and I liked LQs cuz it offered a bit more feedback on how to correct my lull.

I remember in December and my gf just one day did a hypothetical situation like all damn girls do, but she said "would you fight anyone for me if it came down to it" and I remember 2 years prior being full into rugby at college, in the best shape of my life and would have said "yes where is he?!" And eventhough I told her yes, on the inside I didn't feel like I could fight anyone, I felt like if I got in a fight I would get my ass handed to me.

I don't fight, I have only thrown 1 punch in my life. Just hypotheticals that come up. So as stupid as it sounds thats what drove me originally to want to lose weight, it was a realization that I wasnt who I once was and it got me wanting to be that person again.

So if making a journal again and having this be the post to have that journal would help, then I will do it.

At the start I made a journal and it helped counting calories, I stopped because I knew how many calories and things certain foods had in them. But if it gets me back into the commitment then I am all for it.

And LQ heh sorry I wrote that first post in a way where I sound like a whiny little kid, I guess in a way you could take it that way. I need to get my **** together, I haven't gotten out of my cut at all, it's not like I eat fast food, drink soda or even go over my calorie limits. Or that I stopped going to the gym. It's that I am starting to get the same feeling I did the first time I went off the wagon, so to speak.

[agua_fresca]

Well, at first those where the reasons. Now I am getting more and more motivated when I see results, when people tell me I look great or when I see the bodies of other women and I can say I look way much better!! Now my motivation is my six pack (they are showing of little by little) and starting to run again ( I am injured but I am weightlifting to strenght my quads and calves to have a pair of superstrong legs!)

Agua

[skelooth]

Don't fight to become who you were once were.... Fight to become what you will ultimately become. A champion on all fronts, dedicated to all aspects of life, a doer, an accomplisher.... become more than you ever dreamed being. THAT is something worth fighting for! Fight for the love and honor of yourself!

Your other option is to 'lay down and die'.

[JaeGee]

P.S. One other motivation is not having my buddies grab my Man Boobs and say "Oh so soft"

Heh, at the start of college I weighed in at 310 lbs. And went through pledging at that weight. I know oh too well how much I hated people grabbing my man boobies. LOL such memories.

I would say that you are probably a XXL shirt kinda guy. Go out and buy yourself a XL shirt and put it on. It may be tight but use that as your motivation. In a few months, buy a large.

I know what you are saying here. I used to wear XXL shirts, and actually back when I was playing rugby I bought 2 pairs of shorts that didnt fit at the time. A pair of 38 size from aeropostal. Just a month ago I decided to try them on and they fit, so that was nice.

But because I had alot of shirts I couldn't fit into anymore and now I can fit into them again that helps alot.

Girls aren't any motivation for me, I have had my gf for 3 years and am not going anywhere. We got together when I was more fit and living life and stuck with me when I bloated up 35lbs. And to this day keeps telling me that I don't need to lose weight blah blah blah.

When I do reach my goal she is going to go on a little shopping spree with me to get new clothes.

And for those knockin the bf%'s. First, any picture can be skewed, I understand that, they are closer up pictures and brigher than the previous. I know calipers can be off, but I took 3 different tests and all got the same results. A ton of my weight is held in my mid section, plus I lost 25lbs, a bit of that is hanging there.

Also, it aint much of a motivation factor to come in here and tell me I am in my mid 20s on my bf%. Since my starting measurements said I was at 24%

I was a tight head prop in rugby for 4 years in college, i have quite alot of muscle under my fat, I think alot of people that post pictures dont have much of a build under them and it might be harder to judge bf% with someone that has quite a bit of LBM as it is. But either way...it's no biggie just doesn't offer much motivation

[lifequest]

I felt like if I got in a fight I would get my ass handed to me.

I will gladly hand your ass to you if you quit

I know you’re still “on your cutting” but you have seen no improvement in a month. Cutting sucks man why would you cut to maintain? If you’re going to cut then track progress religiously. Know where you’ve been and where you’re headed. You have the “leisurely stroll” mentality to cutting, change that to an “infallible march” mentality--LQ

[JaeGee]

Don't fight to become who you were once were.... Fight to become what you will ultimately become. A champion on all fronts, dedicated to all aspects of life, a doer, an accomplisher.... become more than you ever dreamed being. THAT is something worth fighting for! Fight for the love and honor of yourself!

Your other option is to 'lay down and die'.

LOL dude can I hire you to come and walk around with me for a day and just keep yelling some motivational words in my ear. Be like Mick training Rocky for a fight. Thanks for the words though it helps.

I think maybe starting a journal on here would help, also I will switch my workouts to 1 muscle group a day instead of 2, that way I will workout 5 days a week and not 3. Also doing 1 muscle a day allows more variation and I can destroy my muscle knowing it is all i am doing for that 40min to an hour.

[skelooth]

just reality bro, you are closer to 20% bf than you are 16%. You're still carrying a considerable amount of fat on your chest and arms. If BF% is important to you, then go have a trainer at a gym take it for you. Otherwise what does BF% mean? It's all about what you see in the mirror and how you feel about yourself.

[exhibita]

My motivation is feeling like crap all day.

No really.

I work out at 7:30 am everyday, after a 2 hour commute. (Gym at work)

I spend all day at my desk just feeling the soreness and ache creep into my muscles. I grumble at the gnawing hunger, and get excited about eating my next meal.

This is what motivates me to do it again the next day.

Why?

Because each day I feel like that, I know I am moving forward. I gain a little bit each day toward looking the way I always wanted to look my entire life. The compliments are great, but really not needed. The numbers are just numbers.. The pain is the indicator of my progress. It's sick.. but it's damn motivating.

..and at 38, I need all the motivation I can grab

[JaeGee]

I know what your saying LQ, thats why I made the post, the months prior to May I was going all out wouldn't eat any crap would have my one cheat meal, would be religious in the gym, I would go for runs 2 times a week, would be all of that.

I feel this "leisurly stroll" now and want to get out of it, I realize what I am doing and want to get out, which is the reason for the post, and it is helping me greatly

BTW since I'll make this my journal I'll post yesterdays eating and lifts. ALong with my current stats

Height: 6'1''
Weight: 249lbs
BF%: 16-17%
BP: 325lbs
MP: 225 x 8
LP: 800 x 10

6/6/06 (ONO!)
9am: protein shake w/ 5g creatine, 5g glutamine, 1 multi vit, 1 vit c
10am: oatmeal (3/4 to 1 cup, I don't measure anymore I do half a bowl w/ water) small packet of splenda over the top.
12:30pm: safeway sandwich: turkey, wheat bread, no mayo, veggies (a healthy sandwich)
4:00pm: oatmeal w/ yogurt
6:00pm: gym
bi/tri
(I dont know technical terms very well but I will try)
1 arm dumbell tri over head: 45lb x 10 each arm, followed by an immediate other set x 10. 50lb x 12 each arm.

Standing dumbell curl: 40lb x 12 each arm, 40 x 10 each arm, 45 x 8 each arm

Skull Crusher (curl bar): 95lb x 10, 105lb x 10, 115 x 10

Bicept machine: 110 x 10, 130 x 10, 150 x 6 (immediately another set cuz that one sucked, 150 x 2, DOH!)

Pulley machine:
Tri over head w/ rope: 130lb x 10 hands pulled apart, followed by 8 reps with them together, 150lb x 12 pulled apart, followed by 8 together, 150lb x 12 pulled apart, followed by 15 together (burn out a bit)

Tri kickback: 55 x 12 each arm, 55 x 12 each arm, 75 x 10 each arm (left arm was lacking)

pulley machine means its essentially half the weight. Eventhough I think most already know that.

preacher curls (curl bar): 75lb x 10, 85lb x 9

Concentration curls: 30lb x 12, 35 x 8

See now I would have done an additional set for preacher and concentration, then I would have done a standing bi. But instead I went and ran a half a mile. GG.

7:25pm: protein shake w/ 5g creatine, 5g gluatamine.
9:00pm: lean cuisine (I know I know, kick my ass plz, and i lost track of time playing WoW, would have ate at 8:15 or so)
1:00am: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, scoop of Natural PB, cinnamon topping.

Wake up bright and early at 8:15 this morning. Got to bed around 2am :-/

[JaeGee]

just reality bro, you are closer to 20% bf than you are 16%. You're still carrying a considerable amount of fat on your chest and arms. If BF% is important to you, then go have a trainer at a gym take it for you. Otherwise what does BF% mean? It's all about what you see in the mirror and how you feel about yourself.

Heh I did, they got the same measurements.

[lifequest]

My overly critical eye has found some things to comment on

9am: protein shake w/ 5g creatine, 5g glutamine, 1 multi vit, 1 vit c
10am: oatmeal (3/4 to 1 cup, I don't measure anymore I do half a bowl w/ water) small packet of splenda over the top.

Is there a reason for this odd separation? Why not have a protein shake with oatmeal in it and you need EFA’s here for sure, eat some nuts or take fish.flax seed tabs

12:30pm: safeway sandwich: turkey, wheat bread, no mayo, veggies (a healthy sandwich)

dispite what Jerald would have you think these sandwiches aren’t as healthy as they would seem. The bread is like 100+ g of carbs or something asinine like that. Chicken and rice would be a good replacement.

4:00pm: oatmeal w/ yogurt
need protein here, bad, you have no protein in your system for 7 hours during the day!?!?!

6:00pm: gym

7:25pm: protein shake w/ 5g creatine, 5g gluatamine.
PWO shake needs carbs in them!! Very bad, eat a banana or oats or get some dextrose

9:00pm: lean cuisine (I know I know, kick my ass plz, and i lost track of time playing WoW, would have ate at 8:15 or so)

lean cuisine = garbage, someone I work with worked in the factory that makes that food…trust me you do not want to know, suffice to say stop eating those. I’m sorry but being lost in the fantasy world of World of Warcraft is not an excuse…this makes me sad, at least come up with an excuse that make you look cool like you were late getting back from your base jump or you had to dispense another one of those damn grisly bears. Anything but WoW…I goto an engineering school and I believe that game is the reason everyone thinks people from my school are weirdos. They have tournaments in our library with that game and LAN parties in the dorms. I obviously spend the majority of my time at other schools…please throw that game away

and in it’s place I think you need to start implementing cardio to break this plateau if you can do morning HIIT do that, if not run more then half a mile after your workout, the elliptical is better then the treadmill IMO.

As far as your work out, try a work out with 3 sets 4-6 reps to failure. MAX-ot, I love it just thought I’d share. Cringing at the thought of WoW--LQ

[JaeGee]

lol yah I thought the WoW thing would get some people to cringe.

Well yesterday offered the reality of my lack of motivation, with the journal I can go back to what I used to do.

I drink the protein shake on the way to work, it isn't a long commute but by the time I get there and reply to some emails about an hour has passed and I have the oatmeal.

I will substitute the afternoon meal with either chicken and broccoli or a tuna salad.

The after shake meal I used to have a piece of candy right after the gym, or my creatine had the sugars in it. I will either have a banana or take some of my creatine with the sugars in it.

And yah I know about lean cuisines being crap, thats why I put the, I know, I know thing in there. Typically I have some chicken and brown rice or salad.

I wasnt even aware of the lack of protein in the middle of the day. I guess with the tuna salad and chicken with broccoli that would solve that issue.

The problem is that today i already have my oatmeal with me, with my yogurt, and I can't think of anyplace I could go for lunch to get just some chicken.

Thx for the feedback LQ, I'll change it up tonight, cook me a weeks worth of chicken and tomorrows eating will be better, but you might still be able to rip it to shreds

And I am a firm believer that if MMOs didn't exist we would have invented a cure for cancer by now.

EDIT: I forgot to add the fish/flax oil pills, I had 4 fish and 2 flax yesterday throughout my 3 meals in the early morning and afternoon. Today is the same I will probably have 6 throughout the day 1 of each for the 3 meals in the bulk of the day.

[AlwaysInjured]

Just to add another quick note about WoW...

Try logging how much time you play on a daily basis.
I recently quit with 3 characters at level 60 and a guild that was on C'thun (he was the endgame boss at the time), I did the daily log thing, and realized that I was spending a whopping 6-13 hours a day in front of my computer. If I wasn't logged on I was on the forums...

Ok I'm rambling, the point is, I had no idea I was spending that much time in front of the computer, time I could have spent doing other things (like finishing up this damn novel I've been writing).

~James

[JaeGee]

Yah I am sure anyone in high end guilds, especially ones on C'Thun would be in the same boat, I mean geez, if you bottle up all of that time and dedicate it to like jujitsu or basket weaving, you would be a kickass basket weaver!

How was the final? I miss college.....soooo much.

[P01Shooter]

When was the last time you took a week off?

It sounds like you have been at this for a while and I know that I always find my motivation gone when I haven't taken any time off in a while. The diet starts slipping, my workouts aren't intense, and I become content with my progress instead of driving towards being a ripped up slab of meat. Take what people are saying here and make a plan and set your goals this week while not going to they gym and letting your body recuperate. Then when you have been off for a week you'll be refreshed with a new plan, new workout, and a new fire in yer belly.

[JaeGee]

Well I havent lost weight in a month...Although I wasn't taking a "month off" I wasn't cutting and I was just half assing it at the gym. This post sorta kicks me into gear and gets me re-motivated to get going again.

I read LQs goal post that he asked me to read above and tonight I will get my goals lined up (in present tense) and illustrate it all then people can hold me accountable as I post my daily food and gym intake. If I hold to it for 3 weeks as strong as I did at the start of this whole thing then I will take a week off since it does help to do. But taking a week off right now might be a bad idea.

But good suggestion, I know that taking a week off after cutting for a long time is a good thing. And after I get mentally focused on cutting for a couple weeks I will take the week off.

[KeepintheFaith]

JaeGee, what keeps me motivated for doing things right is knowing that there are sooo many things in life that I have no control over. Taking the hard knocks is just a part of the life experience, but there are some things I can control and work on. My health and appearance are two of those things. They are not small matters either. So much that we do in our lives are inseparable from our physical state that it is really a 24/7 benefit to be in good shape. Also, having long term goals like getting big and cut are good motivators. I started a lot later in life changing myself than what I should have, but that's spilt milk. It's another thing I can't change or control (p.s. I don't mean control in a "control freak" sense). I can pick myself up from where I was and do my best to reach my goals. Of course getting compliments along the way helps a bunch (I've received several today alone). I do have a way to go. I realize that. I don't do myself any favors by lying to myself. If I can be 40 years old however and have others be amazed at how I look at 40, well that is another goal of mine! In closing I would suggest that a good motivator is to keep yourself some goals and don't let them go until you have reached them! Make mental pictures of yourself at the end of the road and before you know it you'll be there. Then go make some more goals! Good luck!

[JaeGee]

JaeGee, what keeps me motivated for doing things right is knowing that there are sooo many things in life that I have no control over. Taking the hard knocks is just a part of the life experience, but there are some things I can control and work on. My health and appearance are two of those things. They are not small matters either. So much that we do in our lives are inseparable from our physical state that it is really a 24/7 benefit to be in good shape. Also, having long term goals like getting big and cut are good motivators. I started a lot later in life changing myself than what I should have, but that's spilt milk. It's another thing I can't change or control (p.s. I don't mean control in a "control freak" sense). I can pick myself up from where I was and do my best to reach my goals. Of course getting compliments along the way helps a bunch (I've received several today alone). I do have a way to go. I realize that. I don't do myself any favors by lying to myself. If I can be 40 years old however and have others be amazed at how I look at 40, well that is another goal of mine! In closing I would suggest that a good motivator is to keep yourself some goals and don't let them go until you have reached them! Make mental pictures of yourself at the end of the road and before you know it you'll be there. Then go make some more goals! Good luck!

Thanks for the well thought out feedback KTF. I lurk these boards daily, eventhough I don't post much and nearly all of the posts you take part in you offer genuine feedback and really try to help everyone out. Tonight I will sit down and organize my goals that are both realistic and drastic and express them here tomorrow.

It is so damn true about how losing weight changes your whole life, in college when I was at around 310lbs I had a great deal of friends but alot of the times I had to go out of my way to see what people were up to. As I began losing weight I noticed a huge shift in the social structure, people begin calling you to come hang out specifically or go to a party, etc, etc...

The benefit I have now is that when I lose weight alot of people think I started taking some enhancement drug like steroids because i do have quite a bit of muscle underneath and when I drop weight it really shows fast, especially my shoulders. So I almost look bigger instead of smaller.

Anyways, thanks again for the sound advice and I will make sure to post my goals tomorrow, along with my diet and workout that I have coming up in about 3 hours.

[KeepintheFaith]

Thanks for the well thought out feedback KTF. I lurk these boards daily, eventhough I don't post much and nearly all of the posts you take part in you offer genuine feedback and really try to help everyone out. Tonight I will sit down and organize my goals that are both realistic and drastic and express them here tomorrow.

It is so damn true about how losing weight changes your whole life, in college when I was at around 310lbs I had a great deal of friends but alot of the times I had to go out of my way to see what people were up to. As I began losing weight I noticed a huge shift in the social structure, people begin calling you to come hang out specifically or go to a party, etc, etc...

The benefit I have now is that when I lose weight alot of people think I started taking some enhancement drug like steroids because i do have quite a bit of muscle underneath and when I drop weight it really shows fast, especially my shoulders. So I almost look bigger instead of smaller.

Anyways, thanks again for the sound advice and I will make sure to post my goals tomorrow, along with my diet and workout that I have coming up in about 3 hours.

Well thanks for the kind words! I do my best to help. I do get a wee bit sarcastic at times, but it's all in fun. I'm just glad that I came across this website and can contribute productively. I really could have used this info early on when I began to get fit and I also know how it is to have been overweight for years. It takes a toll so if I can help others, well that's even more motivation!

[smackdaddyD]

Props man...I'm in a similar boat. 6'2", 260 currently...was 325 in college. I'm around 25% BF now, with similar max lifts. I have diabetes, so all of my body fat is on the front of my torso, it sucks. However, I know I can hit 250 15% by the end of the year.

The way I do things, I learn to think only about the Now. There is only today. One shot to get better.

I use to play WoW also, way too much. Experienced the endgame of both pvp and pve.

When I started 3 months ago, I had 30 months until my 30th birthday, and so I looked at it as ten 3-month periods. I think every 3 months you should make some sort of dramatic change to your training routine, and set goals in 3 month chunks. By the time I'm 30, I expect to be 250 <10% BF, can do 10 pull-ups, can dunk, can bench 425, can squat and deadlift 500+. That's my ultimate goal. With nine 3-month periods left, that's plus 3-4 pounds of muscle, and minus 5-6 pounds of fat every 3 months. Easily attainable, probably even sooner. The key is to just shape your life around health and fitness, and make that your obsession.

If you do what you need to do every day, one day you will have your ideal body. It's so easy, yet seemingly so difficult. I think I've had the final epiphany with regards to this, and am finally truly dedicating myself to my health. As long as I don't stop, I will get what I want. It's really that easy...just do what you need to do today. That's it. Tomorrow doesn't exist yet, and you can't let the size of your task affect your attitude. You can only control Now.