Staying Motivated

....is really hard.

So, remember my 2012 goals? I don't feel like they're going that well. The saving money part is going alright - me and the husband have been doing a really good job of budgeting. The healthy/weight loss part, though? Not so much. The hardest part for me is staying motivated and not getting frustrated. Some background....

When I was younger (8-17) I was a figure skater. For anyone who's not a competitive figure skater, or doesn't know one, let me tell you, it's a great work out! I would go to the gym to cross train, but I didn't really have to. I was in awesome shape. Naturally I didn't realize this at the time, but that's another story. Anyway, I was athletic, yada yada yada. Then I went away to college. Surprisingly, I didn't gain the freshman fifteen. I wasn't in figure skating shape, but I walked everywhere and went to the gym to socialize with my friends. Even after graduation, when I was sitting in a lab all day, I was still in pretty good shape. As far as I can tell, this happened for two reasons: I was single and so I wanted to look skinny to meet guys, and I was generally happy in a job I liked. So then I met Zach and had a major change in lifestyle. I'm not blaming him! Not at all. It's just that I had two options: 1) Go to the gym 2) Cook dinner with my boyfriend and then watch a movie together. Come on, which would you choose? Then I took a job that I hated and started eating emotionally. I also am a firm believer that stress can cause weight gain and other problems. So that was all 20 lbs ago.

To get on with the story, over the last several months I've became obsessed with living a healthy lifestyle. My goal is not to lose weight exactly, but to create healthy habits that will stick with me, and yes, also lose some weight. This has not happened yet. Like, not one pound. I know it takes a while, but man do I wish my jeans were more comfotable! So, internet, throw me a bone here. How do I stay motivated? Have you ever made a change in lifestyle that was difficult but worth it? What are some pitfalls I should look out for? For the sake of full disclosure, I'm eating a sweet potato, and apple, some whole grain crackers and water for lunch. I didn't even touch the candy bowl outside of the office.