Inspiration, Motivation and all that jazz

     I have written several times that one of my many struggles is trying to stay motivated and inspired to continue. There's a saying  in Spanish  you use to describe someone who will start all things but never finish anything that roughly translates to English as someone being a "lit up corn husk"....yeah, exactly lol. I am known for trying to use my Spanish sayings in English then having to make this long winded explanation to try to make them make sense. But I guess when you light up a corn husk maybe with a match? It burns real fast and then bam! It's gone. That's how I am about getting fit. Back that up, that's how I have always been but am determined to not do that again.

     I have mentioned inspirational quotes and messages helping put good thoughts in my mind but to that I have to add keeping a food log through my fitness pal, writing on blogger to empty out some of my thoughts and lastly using the pact app. I have named this three my health weapons folder on my Ipad, as you can see by the following screenshot ;)

                                        

   

     So let's get into this. My fitness pal (MFP)is a food log/exercise log app. I have been a member for at least 3 years. Never active for more than a week or so. It is a convenient tool and easy to use. Being able to scan or search foods can be almost fun if you have the right attitude. This app has been a real eye opener for me and a huge help. I am more aware of what I put in my mouth as I make myself log it even if it's not a good choice. I don't want to see "bad things" on it so I tend to think twice. Of course I'm far from perfect and I have much much much room for improvement. 

     The other thing I love about MFP is seeing my weight loss graph. I know that I will hit a plateu eventually  and that I should not obsess about the scale. But, I also know I have to lose my fear of stepping on it. Every person is different and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for others. In my case, at this point, stepping on the scale regardless of what it says is a small victory. I have logged on  MFP for 30 days straight and I'm not going to lose my streak! 

     Let's continue with the Pact app . I think that it is available for both IOS and android platforms. It is basically an accountability app. The way it works is that you wage a certain amount of money that you are willing to lose if you fail to complete your pact. They have three pacts the working out, food log and veggie pact. I am not completely sure about the working out pact but I think it uses your gps on your iPhone or a motion tracker  to verify you were at your preset gym location and how long you worked out and that's how it verifies it. I workout less than I wish I could and what I do , I do at home so that's not something I have explored. 

      I started off just doing the food log since I was already using my fitness pal and the app syncs it automatically. Athe end of the week ( on Tuesdays), the app pays your reward for completing the days you chose when doing your pact. My pact is logging 7 days a week with a wager of $5 for every day lost. Trust me I don't want to give them my $5 so I am inspired to keep my log updated constantly. I have done the food log for two complete weeks and I am starting on the third and got two payments in. 

      The veggie pact makes you choose an amount of veggies or fruits that you will eat within a week. I started with 5 veggies a week at $5 per missed veggie. The reason I I started off with 5 in a week , is because when I read the reviews of how they get verified I got scared. The way veggies get verified is by a member of the pact team but also by thumbing up or down from fellow pact users. Stories about pics being thumbed down for no reason and people being charged had me doubting but I decided to take the plunge. I think pact app is very clear when it says your picture must contain at least one serving of the fruit or veggie and  you have to show that it's being eaten. Selfies are encouraged but not obligatory. People will be people and I have noticed a few bad apples trying to pass off a muffin or something non veggie/fruit as one. But I have had no issues. After my first week of 5 veggies I am currently doing 21 veggies for this week. So far so good.

        Will you get rich off of this app? Doubtful! But what makes it valuable to me is the fact that it keeps me accountable and it makes me want to eat more fruits and veggies. I am also determined not to lose my logging streak on my fitness pal. Here's my big moneys after two weeks! Keep in mind that payouts vary depending on how many people fail their pacts as it is that money that is used for payouts. I encourage you to read, research and give it a shot if you feel comfortable with it.a few extra cents sure won't hurt me ;)

      

                     

    Last but not least, Blogger. I know lots of blogger peeps have complaints about the app. I am sure if I had a following, comments to keep up with and monetization of my posts I would probably feel the same. But right now, with three of you random peeps reading -Hey!!! -and me being able to write conveniently from anywhere I am, it works just fine. I enjoy writing my thoughts and I find that I can use it to distract myself when I feel a craving coming. Blogger also has tons of inspiring and motivating blogs for me to follow. I love finding a new one and "clicking" with the writer after reading just one post, I'll sit and say out loud :"I totally get that!" Or "I've done that too!" Or "Wow! That's so amazing! I'm so inspired!" Even though my doggies look at me like I'm crazy, I want to say thanks for writing, you have no clue how your words sometimes seem to be just what I needed at that particular time. Hopefully my words will do the same for someone out there one day!

   So as you can tell I love my Ipad. It can give me all sorts of entertainment and it is always within my reach. Finding ways to use it to help my journey makes me love it even more. I am aiming to have a folder full of weapons as my journey continues but for now I am happy for where I am and excited about where I can be in the future. Until next time!