Motivation for Healthy Living {30 Day Shred}

Want some motivation to get in shape and eat healthier safely and quickly?  

Me too, but this time instead of sitting around just thinking about it like I sometimes do, I'm getting off my butt and doing something about it!  My sweet and oh so hilarious friend Jen {at Four Marrs and One Venus} started a Facebook group for friends doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD, and I jumped on board.  This is my #1 motivator to stick with it and drop the pounds... a group of fun, motivating friends who are all in this together! 

But I'm a really visual person and I like to SEE my results for any project I take on right away.  If I'm working hard, but the scale isn't rewarding me with a lower number, I tend to get discouraged and start eating a Snickers bar or something.  Patience is a virtue that sadly I was not blessed with... sigh.  So I made a couple of visual motivators to help me along my 30 Day Shred adventure. 

To see my progress every day, I printed out this free printable calendar from The Tomkat Studio.  You can download it here.  Every day that I do the 30 Day Shred DVD, I give myself a sticker.  I also give myself a gold star for the days that I eat right & drink lots of water,  Why yes, I was indeed a 2nd grade Teacher in my former life. {Today was Day One of my 30 Day Shred so I'm going to give myself TWO good stickers because I did my Shred and I've been eating like a sugar-free rabbit today.}

I also made this fun visual from recycled baby food jars {I had a couple extra from this project... Math wasn't my strongest subject}.  I saw something similar floating around Pinterest a couple of years ago with big glass jars & little marbles. 

Since I don't have all that much I want to lose, I want to see a bigger impact with each and every one of the 12 pounds I'm going to lose so I chose little jars with crayons.

Thirdly, here's  a picture of me today... I'll skip the full body shot in a bikini because that may cause some eye damage or something.  I do love my Snickers after all.  My hair's a mess, but I see chubby cheeks and arms here.  And I'm not talking about the cute cheeks on that baby boy :)

And lastly, I asked my husband if he would pay me $10 for every pound I lose so that I can buy a pair of nice, new jeans at the end of the 30 days and he said yes... maybe a little too quickly, but I'll let that go :)  Having four babies {the last two of them within 19 months of each other} has definitely moved things to places I never imagined they'd go!  So here's a link to the butt I'd like to have the jeans I want to buy with the money that I will earn in 30 Days.  {I only buy my fancy jeans when they're half price, just in case it appears that I'm off on math again!}

What about you?

What motivates you to get moving?

xoxo,

Laurie

p.s.  Telling YOU... putting it out there like this... that's a huge motivator too.  I drafted this blog post a few days ago...today was Day Five of my 30 Day Shred and I've moved TWO crayons to the lost jar so far!!

I'm sharing my ideas at some of my favorite party places!