Happy to report I am down another 1.6lbs this week! This makes my total loss to date 33.4lbs. I have been on this weight-loss journey now for just over 6 months. I suppose by some people’s standards my weight loss isn’t particularly impressive considering how long it’s taking, but I don’t mind. Sure, I miss the weeks of the 4lbs losses, but I’ve really come to realize that weight-loss isn’t my number one goal.
Yes, I want to lose weight. Yes, I need to lose weight. Yes, I will continue on my path. HOWEVER. What I mean is that when I think about my goal – it’s not about reaching a particular number on the scale. It took me a while, but I’ve now come to realize that this isn’t a journey with an endgame. It’s not about reaching goal weight and that’s it. Life will not be easier and my challenges with food will not have magically disappeared. I expect this to be a life-long journey and challenge. To me, overeating is an addiction like any other. My challenges will be no different than a recovering alcoholic, drug addict, or smoker. The only difference is that one can live never having another drink, snort, or puff – but one cannot live without food.
So what do I envision? What is my goal? My goal is a healthy lifestyle. To me, a healthy lifestyle means: being regularly active (I would love to be a runner. I am waiting until I get to under 200lbs to start running as I hurt my knee last year and don’t want to do more damage to it from the impact of my current weight), and eating healthy (I want making healthy choices to become second nature). And this is what I am working toward. Weight loss is a by-product of this because I was not healthy before – I didn’t move and I ate what I wanted, whenever I wanted, and as much of it as I wanted.
Slowly, but surely I have been able to change my habits. Like with exercise and activity – I’m now at a point that where I want to move, I miss it if I can’t get it into my day, and it has become an important part of my schedule that I am not willing to negotiate. I have also gotten better at controlling my portions and eating until I am satisfied and not stuffed as well as choosing healthier options, and bypassing empty calories.
So this is where I find myself. Knowing what my goal is, and slowly working towards it. I am ready and prepared to make serious and long-lasting changes in my diet and my approach to food.
Without real, sustainable changes, all weight-loss is ephemeral.
Let’s not forget the requisite pic of my weight loss. Here it is:
I am also considering putting up some before & during photos. I think I have to give this some more thought, but I am seriously considering it.
Pound per Pound 
That’s great! I like how you relate it to dealing with it like an addiction – a life-long thing.
Thanks 🙂
It’s really helped me to think of it in those terms. Really, it was a dear friend who cleaned himself up from a cocaine addiction that has shaped a lot of my thoughts on this. He said it gets easier the longer it’s been – but put it in front of him and it would test his resolve. The same for me – it’s getting easier, but put the food in front of me, and it tests me. It’s a conscious decision I have to make each time not to slide back.