Motivation in weight loss

I've been having a rough week on the motivation front. I was sick earlier in the week (and I still have an earache) and the weather in Nashville is cold, cold, cold. This makes me want to eat macaroni and cheese and stay in my warm and fuzzy bed all day long - but alas I have to go to work, I haven't had ANY mac and cheese and I've been hitting the gym to walk.

So how do I get out of this lack of motivation funk? Cindi suggested I write out my goals (i.e. smaller clothes, feel better, look better, be healthier).

This prompted some major introspective thinking on the treadmill last night. What are my goals? Why am I putting all this work in? Immediately I remembered my next milestone I'd like to reach: lose 50 lbs by July 1st. It sort of freightens me this is such a huge goal, 50 lbs in 7 months (7.14 pounds a month) is more than I've lost in such a short period of time. However, I didn't blindly make up this goal.

The reason why I put this date on my goal of losing 50 lbs is because my sister is expecting her second child in July and I couldn't be more ecstatic!! One of my reasons to change my unhealthy lifestyle back in 2008 was because my neice was just a few months old and I realized I wanted to be able to run around and play with her effortlessly. I didn't want to be the fat aunt. I didn't want to pass on unhealthy habits to her that have been passed around my family for generations.

I hope thinking about WHY I am doing this is motivation enough to get back on track and get the scale moving in the right direction. I hope my long 7-8 mile walk tomorrow will help even out my week, as I haven't been as diligent with food choices.

I think motivation is the hardest thing about weight loss - it provides dramatic ups and downs to boot. What motivates you? How do you keep your motivation alive?