SparkPeople Members Share 50 Things They're Grateful For

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Some days, it's easy to feel proud of your accomplishments and hopeful for the future. Other days, your relaxed-fit jeans don't live up to their name, your workout partner has lost three times as much weight as you, and you'd consider trading your firstborn for some french fries. When you've sworn off chocolate, finally know how to pronounce (and prepare) quinoa and have traded post-work happy hours for workouts—yet the scale hasn't budged in the right direction—well, it may seem difficult to focus on the positives.
 
But we promise, they exist. Hint: They don't have to be directly related to having a perfect, or even passable, physique. The key is to seek out the things in life that bring you happiness, humor or peace (or all three!) instead of focusing on your perceived flaws.
 
Every day, our very own SparkPeople family provides countless examples of reasons to be grateful, no matter what curveballs life throws at them.
  1. For this website and all the knowledge I've obtained from it. Also for the encouragement I receive from others on here when I feel unmotivated and discouraged. – **PRICELESS**
  2. I'm thankful for all the support my husband gives me. – DC_411
  3. Today I'm grateful for the willpower that's going to help me stick to my program despite the fact that the scale has not moved in three days. I can be impatient, but also know that my only reasonable response to that feeling is to just stick to the plan. I know I will eventually see results. So I'm grateful to have hope. – LPRUNWALK
  4. I'm learning to relax about food and learn that food is supposed to nourish my body, not provide entertainment. – IWANNABEALOSER
  5. Today I'm thankful for gradual progress and incremental changes! –FITMARY
  6. Today I am thankful that I woke up feeling happy enough to get out of bed and make fun plans for myself. I struggle with depression and mood disorder and have been going through a difficult low spot. I have been slowly coming out of it, and today I am going to go on an adventure. A big step, and I know for me it is a sign that I am on an upswing. – AMYJACQUES9296
  7. NOT binging at lunch time. – STILETTOPIMPS
  8. Today I'm thankful for Coach Nicole! – FITMARY
  9. Waking up and doing my strength training like it was a normal part of my day—no excuses, no grumbling, just got it done! – INSIGHT62
  10. Today I am thankful for being able to get up each morning, have breakfast with my husband and feel good. No medication to take, no aches or pains. I am lucky and I appreciate every day. – KATHLEEN624
  11. Today I'm thankful for the morning sunshine, iced coffee [and] endless chances to have a fresh start when I need one. – ROSEMARIE65
  12. For my loyal dog who is happy to go anywhere. A car ride, a walk or just to the porch. He feels so very important. – ETCH12
  13. Being able to wake up with the ability to set my feet on the floor and have the ability to pursue the small things that so many and even I once took for granted. – DECAREAU84
  14. Today I am thankful for the kindness of a neighbor. – INACAR
  15. I'm thankful that I have a job. I complain about having to get up early in the morning and I'm tired all day, but there are a lot of people who would be happy to be rushing to work in the morning. – IWANNABEALOSER
  16. Today I'm thankful for active recovery after a challenging class last night. – FITMARY
  17. I am thankful for finding a career that is my passion and a gift to others. –BBCTCHR2000
  18. Today I'm thankful for a delicious dinner, which I made courtesy of an internet recipe. – FITMARY
  19. Being able to get out of bed and walk after my knee operation. – ZRIE014
  20. Today I am thankful for my mother, who has decided to join me in this journey instead of sitting on the sidelines. – MARYFRAN926
  21. I am thankful that my family is healthy and I have a loving family and good friends. I am thankful for this site and the help it gives me to lose weight. – GLOWB5
  22. Today I'm thankful for a great Zumba class! – FITMARY
  23. Today I am thankful for waking up breathing, and being capable of walking three miles. – GERRTIE
  24. [I am thankful for] finishing school to earn my doctorate and now I can get started with my new career path. – THORNBIRD1
  25. Every day I am thankful for surviving a level-4 melanoma 22 years ago. –BIKE4HEALTH
  26. My good husband, my modest home, my necessities being met, my modest job, the fact my husband has a job, my basic good health and the fact that my parents and immediate family members are still living. – BRIDGETTEANNB2
  27. Today, I am thankful for a new start. The first time I was a part of SparkPeople, I successfully lost over 50 pounds. In the four or five years since, I regained approximately 80. It isn't easy, I know that. But I want to be healthy. I want the clothes that are in my closet today to fit, rather than having to alternate between the two pairs of "fat pants" that I still fit in. –ANNMCMILLIN
  28. Today I'm thankful for my wonderful Pilates teacher! She helped me when I started, and she's helping me now that I'm trying to re-boot. What a lovely lady! – FITMARY
  29. Hugs...it doesn't matter what's going on, a nice, big bear hug makes it all all-right. – DECAREAU84
  30. Waking up this morning to sunshine, a roof over my head, food in my gut, being able to move, my job, my family and good friends, my pets, my SparkPeople friends who keep me going. – SLIMHEALTHIERME
  31. Having the day off and my favorite jeans no longer feel overly tight. Thirteen pounds down! – HOOFNPAW
  32. Today I'm thankful for the pizza place that makes salads that I actually crave! – JFLAME18
  33. Today, I'm grateful for having my health and the energy to complete day 15 of my 21-day workout program. – MADAMEPAM
  34. Today I am thankful for my husband, who helps prepare my healthy meals and is so supportive! – SAS202554
  35. That today is the first day of the rest of my life. – RDM1213
  36. ...another day to get it right (better eating and exercising choices). –GOTTAGETMOVIN55
  37. Life, my struggles, my victories and my increased health as I continue to work on my goals through SparkPeople! – REBBUL67
  38. Today I am thankful for fresh tomatoes for breakfast! – IAMFITBETTY
  39. Today I am thankful that my blood glucose levels are finally under control, and as always for my puppies and kitties. – PROFRLJ2
  40. I am thankful for being an inspiration to others to get healthy. Even though I struggle, they look up to me and I tell them SparkPeople helped! – VALZ107
  41. I have had countless health issues pretty much since birth, and even though there is much room for improvement, for the past 10 years I've been able to learn to work around a lot of them. – DECAREAU84
  42. A good walk during a break from the heat, no back pain, good music. –MOMMO77
  43. Today I'm thankful I have everything I need and most of what I want. I'm in a warm, dry, safe place. Family, friends and neighbors are around when I want them and not when I don't. I have an adequate food supply, unlimited potable water supply, enough wealth to sustain my simple life, and more books and music than I can possibly enjoy even if I made more time for them. Except for metastatic breast cancer, I'm lucky and grateful today and every day. – GOODANIMAL
  44. An awesome church service, which motivates me to take better care of myself. – TWILLIAMS566
  45. Feels like I've turned a corner after three surgeries since October and I'm motivated again to take care of myself. – ANNIEAFG
  46. I'm thankful for my two cats who bring me laughter, warmth and cuddles. They can always make me feel better with the stupid things they do. – ABBY_ROAD
  47. Today I am thankful for the energy to dance and sing with the kids in large group worship today. It's hard to be a worship leader when you can barely find the energy to move yourself. Today was awesome! –HOLLYPOTTER
  48. Making the effort to meet a cyber friend in real life. We had a wonderful time. – CELTICLASSINLA
  49. Today I'm thankful for so many things. I woke up with a kiss from my husband. I had breakfast with the loves of my life: my son and husband. I started early and motivated with my work-at-home job. – RACHELAKITO
  50. The amount of control I have over my life, good and bad. – CHRIS23652365 
Now it's your turn: What are you grateful for today?