A Daily Dose of Motivation

By , SparkPeople Blogger
The big day is drawing ever closer. On Dec. 29, "The Spark" will available everyplace you buy books. In the mean time, we're bringing you more interviews with members who have already reserved their copies of the book that experts are calling "a royal win-win" and "a sustainable solution that works over time."

LOUMARG



Think it's too late for you to lose weight? Think again, says Louis Gagliano of Louisville, Colorado. At "75 years young," he joined SparkPeople in September to lose the weight he gained since he quit smoking 22 years ago. (That's a tough habit to kick--way to go!)

"I have tried other programs like the cabbage diet, Weight Watchers and others that my bride of 52 years has discovered. I have found with the Spark program that I know I will succeed. My overall goal is to get to 178 pounds and have great health.

Some of the tips that help me are:
  • My wife and two daughters are great support. We are all on the program and enjoy Huddling daily, competing in Trivia and Spinning the wheel
  • Keeping my food log is a great help. When we are having a special meal, I track my meals for the day and then know what I can have at the special meal. In the past, I would never pre-plan.
  • Exercise. What a great program! I think about it every day now, and I am the most dedicated I have ever been. The articles are great and have given me great ideas. I especially like that I can do at least 10 minutes on any day. I cannot say that I do it every day, but I do it most days and again, I have never been more dedicated.

I am a strong supporter of the Spark program and have advised many to join in. Two of my friends have joined. The support comes in so many ways. I like best that many are on the same journey that I am on and the support is fantastic. So much encouragement comes from people that used to be strangers and are now my friends. There are so many features of the program like the articles, trivia (where I have learned much and it keeps me humble too). I think encouragement from others is near the top of the features that I like.

The advice that I would give to someone who is just getting started is to go all out getting SparkPoints. If you do the complete list of SparkPoints it will keep you focused on the program, you will learn a lot and have fun doing it. Also you will connect with others who you can encourage and they will encourage you. Best of luck on your journey."

D710DANCE



For those of you who attended the Spark Your Life Convention here in Cincinnati, you will remember Deondra R. Wardelle. Born in sunny Los Angeles but raised in Louisville, Kentucky, she has been a "proud member" of SparkPeople since May 2007. She talented at designing clothing (she wore a fabulous T-shirt she made herself to the convention) and is using SparkPeople to reach her final weight-loss goal.

My top three tips to stay on track are:
  1. Drink at least 64 ounces of pure water daily.
  2. Make time for fitness, even if it's just dancing to some music on my iPod for five or ten minutes.
  3. Forgive myself and move on if I have a day where don't achieve all of my nutrition and fitness goals
How do you stay motivated?
My SparkFriends keep me motivated, I no longer feel like I'm working toward my weight loss goals just for myself, but I feel as if I'm doing it for my friends as well. The support that is received from this website is simply priceless!!!

What advice do you have for someone who is just getting started on a healthy lifestyle journey?
Visualize where you ultimately want to be as it relates to your health and resolve to work towards that goal one day at a time, no matter how long it takes.

What SparkPeople feature is the most helpful to you?
There are so many awesome SparkPeople features, but the one that has been most helpful to me on this lifestyle journey hands down is the Nutrition Tracker. If I honestly track my food, I see progress on the ticker...it's just that simple

CRIMSCOUT



Brian Crim of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, has been living a healthier life since he joined SparkPeople eight months ago. This music lover and music teacher is loving life!

What are your top 3 tips to stay on track?
  1. Keep your eyes on your goal!
  2. If you mess up, pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and keep on Sparkin'!
  3. Learn to enjoy your Spark journey!
How do you stay motivated?
Not to sound hedonistic, but looking in the mirror and noting the changes in my appearance and in my general, enjoying feeling better.

What advice do you have for someone who is just getting started on a healthy lifestyle journey?
Join a team where you feel free to interact with members, and make SparkFriends. Even though I've not personally met most of them, I feel comfortable sharing my successes and my struggles with them.

What is motivating you today? What advice do you have for others who might be feeling down?