June 4 tally, and the nuts & bolts of No Excuses.

Again, 2 quarts of water and an hour on the treadmill at level 2 - and I have the blisters on my blisters to prove it. Another day without a soda and best of all I didn't even want one yesterday. I did get a headache, but those are to be expected. The more water I drink, I think, will get rid of that soon enough.

Another accomplishment is that I once again began to track my food using Sparkpeople, the free nutritional aid that helps define goals, provides tools and helps you keep track of the nuts and bolts of the healthier lifestyle commitment.

Note I don't use the word diet, nor will I. I may have a calorie reduction in my overall food intake, but this is a lifestyle change - not just a short term project to lose weight, only to return to the unhealthy habits that got me in this shape to begin with.

That is not to say that I will always keep an eagle eye on my calorie count. Realistically I probably can't.

I just know that when it comes to losing weight, I need to monitor it more closely than I would in the maintaining stage.

Though I like the way I feel after these more intense workouts (and I definitely love the results, down 3 inches in a problem area in just a week), I have to say I'm a little hesitant to get back on the treadmill while my blisters and abrasions are still so raw.

But... this is the blog of no excuses. On Sparkpeople yesterday they have a motivational quote section with this little nugget of wisdom: "A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn't will find an excuse." - Stephan Dolley, Jr.

It boils down to how much I want this. I have the opportunity to overcome this particular hurdle by not letting it stop me, or the perfect excuse to skip a workout for the day.

From Sparkpeople:

"It’s been said that some of the smartest people make lousy entrepreneurs. How can that be? The problem is that some people are so smart they can easily predict all of the problems, roadblocks and hurdles they’ll need to overcome to succeed. They can think of all kinds of reasons why an idea won’t work. This foresight can crush possibilities and dreams. When you want something, do you focus on the positive things, or the barriers? To reach your goals, you have to really want them. More importantly, you have to believe that you can do it. Think more about why you CAN make it happen instead of why you can’t."

I'll let you know how it goes.