Don't eat the cake.

"Somewhere between the desire to have a six pack of abs and the need for a six pack of cupcakes I find myself in a constant struggle of being motivated and being a bum." - Me.

We've all been there at some point or another. It's Sunday evening, I'm standing in front of the refrigerator at 10:33 at night looking for one last snack. "We're starting our diet tomorrow. I'm just making sure there isn't anything in here I want to eat before it starts!" At least that's the excuse I tell my husband so I don't feel so bad about finishing off my half eaten tub of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. "I'm going to get all the cravings taken care of and start fresh in the morning." The only catch is, when morning comes I completely skip breakfast, drink two cups of coffee for lunch, and then eat five tacos for dinner.

Motivation and discipline are the key to any goal. Whether you're wanting to lose weight, get a promotion at work, or earn a degree. You must sacrifice what you want at the moment so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor in the future. You don't walk into a Fortune 500 Company and say, "Hey. I have great hair and kind of know what I'm doing. Make me CEO." You can't go to college for one day and expect a degree and you certainly can't eat a single salad at lunch and expect to drop 30lbs. We must work for what we want. Even more than that we have to learn how to wait for what we want.

My husband is constantly reminding me how different our 'generations'. He understands and appreciates the time it takes for things to fall in place. Patiently waiting, staying steadfast in his effort to complete a task. I, on the other hand, am not so.. understanding. I have what I call the "Microwave Mentality". I want what I want and I want it now. While that isn't always a bad thing; it can be a personal roadblock when it comes to projects that actually require time, like losing weight.

Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the process as much as the next person but I know the root of my success is based on one thing and one thing only. My mentality.

I know what I want but my actions don't always reflect those desires. It's so easy to have just "one bite" or skip my workout just this "one time". My excuses outweigh my desires and my goals and motivation take a plunge in the process. Before I know it, I've "cheated" so much I don't see the point in eating a salad for dinner because what difference is it going to make at this point anyway? Instead of falling into defeat, I need to keep my thoughts in line with my goals.

I need to evaluate my decisions instead of rationalizing them.

- "Will this help me reach my goal?" 
- "Is it beneficial to my goal?"
- "Will my future self appreciate this decision?" 

If my answer is no to any of these evaluation questions then what I'm wanting to do isn't in line with my motivation.

Motivation is as much of a mindset as it is an action. We must first decide what we are doing and then do it. You don't succeed by chance...you succeed by effort. Effort requires planning and planning requires what? A strong mindset.

Strength is more than a muscle... and I'm going to be as strong as I can.

Strengthen your taste buds with my new favorite treat! 

Check out our recipe for "Skinny Spinach Dip".