NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF By Lora L. Williams

Over this past weekend, I was able to browse around Spark People, My Fitness Pal, and other weight loss communities for a while and read many blogs from different people. I love to read and respond to them, and there were quite a few of them that I read where someone was ready to throw in the towel. First of all, we have all fallen down. We have all done things in our weight loss journey that we wasn't proud of. We have all caved in at one time or another. This has always been my problem in the past. I would be doing so well and one weekend I may have went overboard on my calories or just totally pigged out on something and ended up feeling guilty. I would then just say, what the heck and continue to eat like crazy. Next thing I know, I'm completely discouraged. I would feel that there was no hope. But, I know that there is hope. The most important thing for those who may be struggling with staying motivated after a lousy slip up is to just keep going. Don't feel that one bad day of eating, or one bad weekend of eating should erase all the other wonderful things that you have worked for. I know that it's easier said than done, but doing it is the only way to get through these pitfalls. Simply forgiving yourself and moving forward. Why should you give up on yourself for making lousy choices? Why should you throw in the towel? Aren't you worth every effort of sweat and tears that you've put into working out and eating better? Why should one mistake change all the good that you have done? Remember the slogan: "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins?" That's so true. I'm motivated simply by the fact that if I continue to give up every time that I make a mistake then I will never reach my goals. I owe it to myself to keep going. You owe it to yourself go keep going. Continue to hold your head up and set your sight on crossing that finish line. 

I love horse racing, and I remember watching the 2005 Preakness Stakes. With a quarter of a mile to go, Afleet Alex's feet got tangled with another horse, Scrappy T, causing Afleet Alex to scrap his knees in the dirt. But this colt was not to be denied. Afleet Alex reached out with his front feet and got back into his stride. He bolted ahead to win over Scrappy T by three quarter lengths.....What if his jockey would have given up on his horse because of that stumble? His horse would have not tasted victory, and neither will you if you give up on yourself. Let's be like Jeremy Rose and Afleet Alex. We can still win this race. We just can't afford to give up on ourselves.....