Swimsuit motivation

So I’m going to admit publicly that I get the Victoria Secret catalog. And, yes, I’ve been known to buy from it. Now that I can!

When I got home from a business trip this weekend and picked up my mail, there was the 2014 Victoria Secret Swimsuit catalog. Yep. In my mailbox!

Ironically, it arrived 10 days before my Florida vacation where I must decide if I am brave enough to don a swimsuit or two and not my swim outfit. This, all coming on the heels of a week/weekend of slippage on the food plan that has me at the higher end of my new weight comfort zone. Can anyone relate?

Well, swimsuit motivation here we come!

As if looking at all the hot babe’s in Victoria Secret and seeing only about three one-piece suits that I could even consider wearing, was not enough motivation. I hit the gym this morning early to do extra cardio. After telling my trainer Sandra the story, she had me doing intense abs with no warning and without missing a beat.

“OMG, have I EVER done abs before?!” … I shouted for the whole fitness center to hear. It clearly had been way too long and my core is, well, seriously out of shape. So, again without missing a beat, Sandra reminded me with one word why I had to keep going and fight through the temporary ab exercise pain – “Swimsuit!” She grinned.

It worked.

After my morning workout, I decided to swing into Cub Foods next door to load up on salad fixins so I could eat clean and healthy all week counting down (now 9 days) to my amazing Florida adventure. As I felt the tug to buy all things sugary and fatty that were not on my “swimsuit meal plan,” I thought about my 3-4 swimsuits at home in the drawer and how badly I wanted to wear a couple of them with no swim pants while vacationing in Florida. Did I mention, in 9 days?! So, past the junk food aisles I went leaving the store with only the good stuff. Whew. Chalk another one up for swimsuit motivation.

I think it’s okay to use short term goals or milestones to help us get back on track. Whatever it takes! Even if that’s the swimsuit edition of Victoria Secret. I look at the catalog and know without question that I’ll never look like any of those women in their swimsuits (or should I say bikini’s). But then I smile and think of the fact that for 20 years I wouldn’t be caught dead in any version of a swimsuit or swim outfit, and I am incredibly grateful for how far I’ve come. And for my imperfect but healthy body.

Anyone else use winter vacations, swimsuits, or any other type of short-term motivation to get back and stay on track? How do you stay focused? My secret, one day, one meal, one workout at a time with my eye on the prize! And if I start to waiver, I’ll go to the drawer and pull out the swim suits and try them on. Or, look at my before and after photos. Anything that works when the going gets tough.

P.S. I thank my sister for introducing me the idea of a swim outfit before my weight loss boot camp experience more than 3 years ago.  She had done triathlons and mentioned they have swim pants and tops — and my first ever swim outfit was born! 😉

P.S.S. I suspect this is the only time you will see me post a photo of Victoria Secret models in bikini’s here.