The Journey of a Lifetime

Maintenance is just as hard as dieting. That may not be too profound but it is a battle everyday. I have lost 55 pounds and over 60 inches and I refuse to gain it  back. I have to continue to make good choices. I also have to not let myself believe that I can eat whatever I want now that the “diet is over”. That is a lie. The lifestyle change that I committed to back in December has got to stay alive.

The weekends are hard because we eat out so much. I just have to remember to choose things to eat like I did when I was “dieting”. I know I can keep the weight off. It is going to take work and I am not afraid of hard work.

I have been on maintenance now for about a month. It has gone pretty well. I weigh everyday and if I am up on the scale I just adjust plan my meals to fit. It works for me. It has been kind of hard this week because we have eaten out a lot at lunch. I am in class. When I eat out I usually have a tomatoe sandwich for supper. It works well because I have some great fresh tomatoes. I have also been working out 3 times a week pretty consistently. Anyway everything is going well. I sure don’t want to gain the weight back. Here is a partial list of the freedoms I am not enjoying….after losing 55 pounds. These are in no particular order.

1. Respect from others    2. Feeling wonderful physically   3. Feeling wonderful emotionally  4. Being able to shop anywhere and buy cute clothes   5. Being able to walk without getting winded   6. Walking at a brisk pace easily   7. Being able to keep up with my students   8. Not being embarrased in front of the classroom 

These are just a few of the reasons I have to, and I mean have to, keep this weight off. It is not an option. It is a necessity!

I will wi tomorrow at MRC for the last week of stabilization. I have added back in all the foods and have still maintained my goal weight…150 I did gain a little back while we were in Charleston. It was hard not to eat the good food. I have lost it all though. I think it was mostly water weight anyway. It’s gone and I am so glad.

I am a little worried about keeping the weight off but I really think I have learned a lot about healthy eating and making good choices. I will not gain back the 55 pounds I lost. I know I am going to have to work hard though. I will continue to go to the gym at least 3 times a week and make good food choices. There are several reasons I will keep the weight off:

1. I feel wonderful. I have so much more energy.  2. I love shopping for cute clothes. It has been wonderful trying on 8’s and 10’s and they fit. I tried on a 12 in a store in Charleston and it was too big…..amazing.  3. I have really gained the respect of people. I have gotten so many nice compliments about my success. I sure don’t want to lose that respect.   4. I don’t mind pictures with my friends anymore. I am not the biggest one in the picture anymore…whoo hoo.   I am sure there are many more reasons and I will add them as I think of them.