You Just Have To Go

One of the first things I do every morning when I get to work is look up a motivational saying or expression to put on Facebook.  It gets me going and I hope it helps other people as well.
One of the hardest parts of working out is finding the energy to do it.  Whether its getting to the gym or digging the dumbbells out from underneath the spare bed, once you get started everything flows.  It's that getting started part that's hard.
Today was definitely the very hardest day for me to get going.  I had absolutely no ambition to get out of bed and work out. 
That's when the quote above really struck me as good advice.
It didn't have to be the best workout I'd ever done.  I didn't have to increase any weights or pump out more reps than ever.  I just had to do it.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly changed into my workout clothes and headed into the living room.  I put in a Zumba DVD.  Going through the motions, I went through two songs...enough that I felt I was sufficiently warmed up. 
I slightly modified one of my earlier workouts so that it looked like this today:
30 Slow Crunches
50 Russian Twists
12 Dumbbell Blast Off Push-up Hold
20 Second Plank
24 Dumbbell Pivoting Goblet Squat
15 Dumbbell Flys
15 Dumbbell Press Ups
12 Figure Eights (Slowly)
15 Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
12 Leg Circles
25 Crunches with Twist (each side)
It took me twice as long as usual to do it all...but I got it done.  And I guess that's all that matters.

It seemed very ironic to me this morning, after yesterday's blog regarding my clean eating, that when I walked back into the kitchen at 7:30 to make my lunch,  I would have the biggest craving for chocolate ever.  And I mean ever!  I had already polished off my chocolate protein shake at 6am and that had been curbing my cravings quite well lately.  But today was different.  I didn't even want my granola.  I wanted something deliciously sweet.  I wanted chocolate.
And I knew just where to get some.  :)
Hidden from my children and from Mark, in the back of the cupboard, is a box of Belgium Chocolates brought back from France for me from Cam when she was there a month ago.  Mmmmm....  
The kids weren't up yet....Mark was in the shower...I could picture myself in my favourite chair, with the box of yummy chocolates and a good book.  
But then I remembered the definition that I saw on my stomach that morning as I was changing.   Like I said yesterday, I want results...not setbacks.  Even on my bad days, I really don't want to undo any progress I've made, even if I know how completely amazing those chocolates would taste and how much better they would make me feel right now.
I had a banana instead.