Need to get motivated

After the long hard winter I am looking to get back to a routine, and it has been hard for me to just get started.  I am fine once I get in to a routine, but I keep putting off my start date.  I told myself today I would again try at it.  I need too, I must, I have a big trip at the end of summer and I dont' want to be the person that holds the group up.  I went through a hard time at the end of the year and gained a lot of weight fast, and now I am at the heaviest I have ever been, so it just makes me feel worse about my self. 

So I am just wondering if anyone has some simple techniques that has worked for them to just get back into the routine of making small life changes that you can build on.  I went through this a few years back but I was living where I grew up so I felt compfortable there.  I am still new to the area so I feel weird about getting out there and doing things.

My favorite thing to do is lay in the grass and read a book lol, so an exercise routine has been hard to keep up.  Or chat on the computer.

I just make sure I do my routine in the morning, every day, before anything else.  Otherwise I would just procrastinate and avoid it until it was time to go to work or do something "fun" on the weekends.

What exercise do you like?  I'm NOT a gym person.  So it's pretty easy for me to just pop in a DVD and do pilates or yoga, or take the dog for a 2 mile walk. 

Good luck with your goals and stay positive. 

Melissa

I wish I had the magic answer to getting and staying motivated. For me, I was just so sick and tired of feeling lousy. I was also sick about being depressed every day that I was overweight and looked terrible. While I am still far from my goal weight, I just keep plugging along everyday. One big step for me was giving up fast food. I told myself that the only way I was going to go to a drive thru was if I was getting a salad or a plain baked potato.  I haven't even done that since Jan 1st. Other food changes followed (in baby steps). The same with exercise, it took a few weeks but I told myself I could exercise 10 minutes every day. Did it and SLOWLY increased to my now 50-60 minutes/day 5 days per week. For me it was slow steps, NEVER depriving myself and constantly thinking that this is LIVING, not a diet, I am going to do this for the rest of my life!!!!