FitAdina's Blog Spot

[Adina Zanolli]

Writing about health, fitness, and weight loss is one of my biggest passions. I have lost 121 pounds, and maintained that loss for quite some time now. If you need to lose weight as well, I would be more than happy to talk to you about it. This will be a spot you can come to every day to find encouragement, motivation, and sometimes a kick in the pants to get you going.

And remember...I am just a normal girl from the south who lost weight without surgery. Just two years of dedication and hard work.

And it is by far, by leaps and bounds even, the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Thanks for stopping by.

Adina

[Adina Zanolli]

I Wasn't Motivated Today

“You’re just more motivated than me.”

That’s one of my favorite phrases people tell me. As if the uttering of those words excuses the one who said the phrase from going to the gym or eating clean.

It ranks right up there with, “It’s easy for you,” or “I just can’t.”

When a goal is reached, which for me was to lose more than 100 pounds, it’s funny that people forget what I was or how hard I worked to get there. They forget that sometimes, in fact many times, I had to drag myself to the gym kicking and screaming.

This morning, I did not want to go. But I did.

You see, I always weigh risks versus rewards. The risk of one slipped day leading to two was not worth losing the reward of doing it, and enjoying a guilt-free day.

And once I was there, the gym euphoria soon took over. And rather than berate myself all day for not going, I was able to just enjoy my day.

When I weighed 256 pounds, I was NOT more motivated than anyone.

Motivated people don’t reach 256 pounds. Not 5’5” tall women, anyway.

I did not want to go where all the fit people were while I was still oozing out of my jogging pants.

Here’s the thing, whether you’re motivated or not, you go.

Grilled chicken without salt does not motivate me.

But does my food have to motivate me? For that matter, does my gym have to motivate me?

I’m NEVER motivated to mop my kitchen floor, but I do it.

If I were to wait for motivation to wash my car, I would not be able to even recognize the color of it. There is a reason God made light-colored cars.

I saw a man the other day. He was in his 50’s. And I could look at him and tell he had never lifted. And he was one of those people with great genetic potential. And I was kind of sad that he was that age and never knew what he could have been.

I guess he was never motivated?

If you wait for motivation to strike, you might be waiting a long time.

As for me, I go to the gym 6 days a week, whether motivated or not.

It’s just what I do.

And 121 pounds on the other side of my first non-motivated, cringe-inducing visit to the gym, I’m sure glad I went….

Even though I wasn’t motivated.

[LOL]

^^That should be motivation enough for anyone

[Adina Zanolli]

^^That should be motivation enough for anyone

Thank you! I am all about the motivation...because life is SOOOO much better after losing the weight.

[GirlyMuscle]

Wow! This is going to be a great thread. I love it already. I hope you keep writing for us.

[Adina Zanolli]

Instant Bacon

There are quite a few recurring themes in the E-mails that I receive each and every day. One of those themes being finding, hitting, or searching for Rock Bottom.

Some people tell me they are already there. Some people say they guess they are waiting to hit it. And some people tell me they guess they are so far gone they will never even find Rock Bottom.

You know what? Last I checked, I am not Wilma Flintstone, and I am not living in a world made of rocks.

I don’t really even believe in Rock Bottom.

I believe there are moments and instances where we make some really bad choices, and I believe some really bad things happen at some really bad times to some really good people.

But an awful lot of people cross my path who think this place called Rock Bottom holds the key to unlocking their weight loss success. Either they think they have reached it, and it’s time to crawl out. Or maybe they’re about to reach it, so they are about to be able to start.

Look around you and take note of what you see. Are your loved ones OK? What about your friends. As for me, as long as my sons and a handful of people I hold close to my heart are OK…then no matter the circumstances, I am not at Rock Bottom.

Things could always be worse.

If you are at a bad place, eating poorly and skipping the gym will not help you. It will just sink you farther down. Because, like I said, there really is no Rock Bottom. There is just the lowest you have ever been on the ladder…and at some point you have to CHOOSE to go up that ladder instead of down.

I thought my Rock Bottom was reaching 250 pounds. But…I went on to surpass my own Rock Bottom by six pounds. And had I not chosen to so something about it, you bet I would still be gaining. Wondering where the end to all of this was. Searching for Rock Bottom.

You just need to focus on making daily choices that will get you moving in the right direction.

Eat a healthy breakfast today? Go up a rung.

Gym visit? Up another.

Sure, you’ll go down a few rungs along the way. But the more upward steps you take, the easier it gets. And the more you choose to let the good show and focus on the positive, the higher you will climb.

And yes, I do have bad days. Or really just bad moments. I don’t usually give in to an entire bad day. My last major episode was totaling my car about two months ago. I knew there were people I could go to that would consul me and want to let me talk about my feelings. And they would cry with me. And we would have a pity party. Sharing all the bad moments we ever had while holding hands, singing Kumbayah, and eating moonpies.

And I would be down for days.

But there was this one friend who I knew would find the humor in it that I had not been able to find. Because y’all, I totaled my car by running into wild hogs in the middle of the highway. And while it wasn’t funny at the time, I knew there was this one friend who would not be able to find this episode at tragic as I thought it was.

And I chose to go up a rung and stick to the one who would help me find the humor in it.

I chose not to wallow in the slop with those pigs I killed, and I E-mailed the one who would lift my spirits. And he did. And I went on about my day.

Don’t go searching for Rock Bottom, and certainly don’t wait till you think you’ve reached it to turn things around.

Climb out of where you are one rung at a time.

And don’t say, “When pigs fly,” because when you hit one going 70….you’d be surprised how high that sucker will fly.

Instant bacon, y'all. Instant bacon.

[Adina Zanolli]

Wow! This is going to be a great thread. I love it already. I hope you keep writing for us.

Girl, thanks!

I will ALWAYS write...it's in my soul!!!

This lets me put my greatest passions together...writing and weight loss. Wait, there's a third...motivation!

I love stuff like this!

[fitiron]

^^That should be motivation enough for anyone

COMPLETELY agree. Awesome job and achievement.

Congrats and your pounds lost and muscle gained.

I have a feeling this is just the beginning for you...

[Adina Zanolli]

COMPLETELY agree. Awesome job and achievement.

Congrats and your pounds lost and muscle gained.

I have a feeling this is just the beginning for you...

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and tell me that!

I appreciate it!

Adina

[Lowdown5]

Adina,

The more I read your blog the more I feel like I looked into a mirror. You are saying what I am feeling or how I feel. The risk/reward part is one that sticks out for me. How many times have I let one "bad" day slip into a "bad" month. Too many to count.

Thanks for inspiring and motivating. I know for sure you are having a positive influence on one guy from California.

[Adina Zanolli]

Adina,

The more I read your blog the more I feel like I looked into a mirror. You are saying what I am feeling or how I feel. The risk/reward part is one that sticks out for me. How many times have I let one "bad" day slip into a "bad" month. Too many to count.

Thanks for inspiring and motivating. I know for sure you are having a positive influence on one guy from California.

You just have to keep in mind...I know of what I speak. Remember....I used to look like this....

[Lowdown5]

You just have to keep in mind...I know of what I speak. Remember....I used to look like this....

That is the reason I believe in you. You have walked the walk. I respect that immensely.

[dumbellblonde]

wow, you have no idea that this was exactly what i needed today. The past two months i've totally lost my desire to work out....I have the last 5-10 lbs to lose and its so frustrating when even a "little" slip up derails progress. Fitadina, you sound like nike! Just do it. thank you so much for this, i going right to the gym after work....

[bndniron4evrgal]

adina,
your 'blogging' reminds me of the 'daily insights' e-mails i receive daily from YOGA JOURNAL.
thanks

[Adina Zanolli]

wow, you have no idea that this was exactly what i needed today. The past two months i've totally lost my desire to work out....I have the last 5-10 lbs to lose and its so frustrating when even a "little" slip up derails progress. Fitadina, you sound like nike! Just do it. thank you so much for this, i going right to the gym after work....

You know...that last ten was the hardest for me! I had to get help from my Hot Friend Kevin at ISS. I was actually eating too little turns out!

Report back and let me know that you DID go to the gym today!