Quit justifying purchases with promises of exercise

I have purchased an iPod, numerous shoes, another mp3 player, new shorts and countless other electronics and apparel all in the guise of getting in shape. None of these purchases had a significant effect on my willingness to work out or get in shape. No matter how much I imagined myself working out with a new iPod in hand or how much more comfortable these new fast looking shoes would be for running I was never motivated enough to stick with it.

Despite the past, it is still really easy for me to try and justify an extra expenditure by convincing myself that --this time -- it will help me stay committed to losing weight. If you have fallen into this trap, next time, stick it out for 2-4 weeks before pulling the trigger. Once you get going consider making the object you lusted for a reward for your hard work, that way at least you can feel like you earned it. That's better than feeling guilty because you only use your iPod at your desk and your gym shorts for nap time.