Here....

Wow.  I literally posted 3 times in 2016.  THREE TIMES!

I'm honestly amazed that I could still log in, and that my blog was still here.

It's 2017 now.  It was a bit of a tumultuous 2016.  I'm not going to go on about how it sucked or anything because there were good times and bad, plain and simple.  2016 was, and not it is not.

And I wanted to talk about something.  As you know, I have been working on my weight loss for some time.  I've been a Weight Watcher for a little over 5 years now.  I haven't reached my goal yet, which is my own fault.

I read something recently that a man incentivized himself to give him a better reason to hit his weight loss goals.  This struck home for me because the only thing that I have to look forward to is continued watching what I eat, exercising, decisions, etc.  I mean, it's a different lifestyle and it's really not anything I can imagine too well, let alone, use it to push me toward my goals.

So, I made a list. I made a list of all the things I want, whether they are things, activities, self help, I listed them.  I then used that list to turn into an incentive program for my weight loss.  To help me work hard to reach my weight loss goal.

The list of what I want is mostly as follows:

I want to travel - to Europe and new places in general.

I want to feel healthy.

I want to volunteer.

I want to stand up for rights.

I want to be involved.

I want to be the best mom possible.

I want to hang out with my husband and have date nights.

I want to be around extended family more.

I want to feel less overwhelmed.

I want to fix up my house.

I want to feel like I am making a difference.

I want to take more pictures - good pictures.

I want to write again (ahem).

I want to feel valued.

I want to hit goal at WW.

I want to feel pretty and strong - confident.

I want to find a therapist.

This is many wants, and I don't have enough goals to use all of these.  And really, I don't need to wait until I hit certain goals to volunteer, see family, feel less overwhelmed.  Some of these are going to drive out goal lists of their own.

However, I did take some of these and turn them into incentives for myself:

By the end of 2017,  I want to weigh between 145 and 150 pounds.

I want to hit 145 pounds so that I can officially say that I have lost 100 pounds.

By July 29, if I weight between 145 and 150, I will reward myself by planning a European (Ireland, Scotland, England) Vacation.

If I lose 1/2 a pound or more per week, I will take $10 and put it aside for myself - for use however and whenever I like.

If I lose 5 pounds a month, I will take my husband on a date night.

If I have lost and can maintain 145 to 150 pounds by the end of the year, I will get another tattoo.

Do you have ways that you incentivize or motivate yourself to accomplishments?