What keeps you motivated?

I've been thinking a lot about motivation as I can feel my motivation beginning to wane.  It seems to me that I am extrinsically motivated and I'm not sure why.  I'm motivated right now because I want to look better - not necessarily for the health benefits.  Its summer and I feel like I look old and I'm attempting to recapture youth.  Its the God's honest truth.  And I don't feel bad about it.  But I worry that I need to be intrinsically motivated to make sure I stay the course and not plateau for long periods of time as I've done in the past.  I need to eat well and lose weight for my health and my happiness - not so I look better.  Is there such a thing as doing this for the 'right' reasons or are they all intertwined and they all matter and contribute to motivation and change daily?

Right now, I weigh less than I have in over 10 years.  I'm so happy to say I'm in the 180's and I swear, I never thought I'd be like the rest of y'all and actually make it here.  I want to continue this path and its external instead of internal factors seem to make me get things done not just with my weight but with a lot of things in my life.  From financial goals to career goals to weight goals - they are all motivated by external things.

I've noticed yesterday, for example, I slipped and ate processed chips and cheese - not for any reason at all.  Its THOSE unintentional calories that make you plateau.  They're the couple hundred per day that add up to a weight loss STALL.    I fell back into the place where  I just wanted it at that time and didn't think of anything else.  I've been doing SO WELL eating intentionally and NOT risking for a second my progress by eating something that wasn't good for me and part of my daily plan for calorie intake.  I don't restrict what I eat, I just limit my calories daily and it works for me.  Yesterday, I didn't do that.  Yesterday, I didn't exercise intentionally.  I can even observe my thought process changing.  I'm justifying not working out and just blocking out and ignoring my eating clean and calorie limit for the day.  I'm slipping back into 'comfortable' and I have to figure out how to change this.  When I'm 'comfortable' as I call it, nothing really seems to matter - not how I look, how much I eat, what my weight is, etc.  Comfortable seems to equate to lazy!

I also sat down and figured out that I only have 3 more weeks left until I have to start my new job.  That depresses me as I've loved playing the role of retired, independently wealthy beach bum.  The freedom of drinking an Orange Crush on the oceanfront in the middle of the afternoon!  I've enjoyed taking my kids out of school and spending the day in pool!  I get to eat when I feel like it and I don't eat when I don't feel like it.  I think I'm panicked about getting back into the rat race.  I mean, I have to and I want to - but I'm just getting used to this freedom!  It makes me a little sad and perhaps that's where yesterday's poor choices came from.....

Today, I got my ass up and went running on the boardwalk.  My training program called for 60 mins of enjoyable running - whatever you covered in 60 mins.  I covered 4.5 miles and felt SO MUCH BETTER than yesterday.  I feel so powerful, confident, in control, and peaceful after I run.  I feel accomplished and my mind is clear.  Endorphins are a good thing.  I feel motivated again and don't want to ruin my day eating bad stuff.

We went to breakfast this morning for Father's Day, I had 2 eggs, 1/2 my serving of potatoes, and 2 bites of a pancake.  Not bad.  For lunch, I'm eating English cucumbers and tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  So simple and yet SO good!

I bought RUNNER's, OXYGEN (per Amy's recommendation), and REAL SIMPLE and am looking forward to looking through them on the beach tomorrow!

How do you stay motivated?  I mean - how do you guys do it and stick with it so long?  How do you keep it going and how DID you stay the course for so long?