Motivation

Motivation = A desire or willingness to do something; enthusiasm.  Thanks to the Oxford English Dictionary, we all know what motivation is all about, so I guess I can explain the reason for my blog.  I am the sort of person who works and trains hard during the week, so when it is time for me to take a well earned break, I certainly make the most of it.  My holidays usually consist of eating copious amounts of food, swilling it down with a few beverages and generally just relaxing and chilling out.  Exercise doesn’t even pop into my brain when I am on holidays, well that is until I go on an extended holiday and realize my clothes are starting to get just a little bit too snug on me ;) 

Earlier this year I took a 5 week trip back to Australia and did I make the most of that!!  I came back a few kilos heavier from all the eating and drinking.  Let’s not forget my 3 month trek around the USA 2 ½  years ago where I managed to look a little bit more like a porky and put on between 10 – 15 kgs.  After all is said and done, it is SO much harder to take weight off then it is to put back on, hence my motivation to then keep up some sort of exercise regime whilst travelling around the east coast of Canada and the USA.

We all know how difficult it can be to eat well and exercise regularly whilst travelling, especially when you are travelling by car.  You know that feeling when you have been sitting in the car  for 8 hours straight, you bum cheeks are firmly indented in the chair, you feel like a 90 year old woman whose legs just will not work, and all you want to do is sleep?...well, that will be me quite a bit.  Once those feelings set in, the motivation to exercise is usually about as far away as the moon at that point in time.

I thought by creating a blog about my workouts and any other fun filled activities, it would keep me honest.  If not, the oh so friendly feeling of guilt would rear its ugly head and get me moving.  I felt I needed to take some responsibility for my actions (or lack thereof) and get out and exercise.  Now, I guess this sounds like I really am a couch potato when on holidays.  This isn’t the case, I still get out there on hikes, walks, swimming etc, but not with the same intensity I would usually during the week.  So I guess in a nut shell, when I am on holidays I tend to consume way more calories than what I burn, hence the weight gain.  In order to lose weight, you want to create a daily caloric deficit.  Ie: Burn more calories than you consume.  Get me? Do you get me? You have me got?  Sorry, I have been watching Taaj from the TV program ‘Come Fly With Me’...very funny program...here is  a sneak peak of it (sorry it was the best version I could find)... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo8VP6D6CE8