Because you're reading this article, I'm willing to bet that you are interested in looking and feeling better. You, like me, probably want to lose some weight and tone up.

But it's hard to find the time and motivation to exercise! Sometimes it's even more difficult to say 'no' to that delicious dessert or mouth-watering entree. The excess weight that seemed to appear overnight takes time and effort to lose, and sometimes it can be frustrating!

Our topic is 'ya gotta wanna'. What do we mean by that? Of course you 'wanna' lose weight and tone up! But do you 'wanna ENOUGH'?

Sometimes when people want to earn more money, they decide to work more hours or two jobs. They give up free time for money. That's a personal decision, and there's nothing wrong with that. These folks 'wanna' money, so they've consciously decided to give up something of value (time) to get what they want.

Sometimes when people want to spend more time with their family, they quit their job and obviously take a cut in pay to do so. These folks 'wanna' something of value (family time), so they've decided to give up something else of value (money) to get what they want.

In both of these examples, these people 'gotta wanna ENOUGH' that they gave up something of real, substantial value to achieve their goals.

Now let's come back to being fit and healthy. Ya gotta wanna do it, or it won't get done. To be more specific, to create the 'new you' you must be willing to give up something of value in exchange for fitness success.

So what do you have to give up in exchange for a fit, trim and lean body? Well, you'll probably have to give up some free time. Even though most experts suggest that you only need 30 minutes of exercise each day, that's still 30 minutes out of your day. You need to decide if you 'wanna' ENOUGH to give up 30 minutes of free time.

To achieve the 'new you' you'll probably have to give up some food as well. A critical part of living better and being fit is not eating as much junk food as you used to. You need to decide if you 'wanna' be fit and trim enough to give up some junk food.

To be fit, trim and healthy you may even have to give up some social events. Does your office have a steady supply of donuts in the breakroom, and are you willing to avoid that breakroom? Do you have a regular lunch date with some friends where you pig out on cheesecake, and are you willing to miss that event? Do you regularly have parties at your house with chips, dip, etc. and are you willing to cancel those parties?

What we may have to give up to achieve true fitness for life is different for each of us. So here's your assignment: take a blank piece of paper and draw a line directly down the middle of the page so that you have two columns. At the top of this paper, label one column "My Goal" and label the other column "What I Will Give Up".

On the "My Goal" side write down your health and fitness goal. You may choose to write down a bodyfat percentage goal (between 20% and 30% is recommended for most women). You may choose to write down a goal weight. You may choose to write down a clothing size you'd like to be. You may choose to tape a 'skinny' picture of yourself on this half of the page, or even draw a picture of what you want to look like. It's up to you.....this is your goal!

Now, in the "What I Will Give Up" column write down all the things you've gained by not getting fit. In other words, list the benefits of not exercising and eating right. Again, some examples are spare time, junk food, etc.

At this point you have a sheet showing the 'desired you' and also what you have gained by not achieving the 'desired you'. Now comes the hard part.....

Take a good, honest look at the "What I Will Give Up" column and really think about what you are willing to give up to achieve the 'new you'. Remember, ya gotta wanna and ya gotta wanna ENOUGH!

Maybe ice cream 7x per week is on your list. Are you willing to give up that? How about giving up half of those ice cream binges?

Maybe spare time is on your list. Are you willing to give up 30 minutes per day for exercise? How many days per week?

Maybe regular soda is on your list. Are you willing to give that up to achieve the 'new you'? How about switching to diet soda or cutting back to smaller portions?

There are no right or wrong answers here. The bottom line is 'are you willing to give up something to get something else'? That's what we mean when we say 'ya gotta wanna'. Nobody is going to magically make you thin and fit. Nobody is going to make these decisions for you. Nobody is going to prioritize your life for you. YOU ARE IN CHARGE, AND YA GOTTA WANNA or you're not going to achieve those goals!

So, do you wanna? Do you wanna ENOUGH?

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.