The Final Push, Part I

Had a talk with the dietitian today about this last stretch on my Optifast product journey (Phase I). Although I only have 26 lbs. to lose, my weekly loss rate may very well slide from the average of 2.2 lbs. a week to something lower. Now, my brother has already prepared me for this, so I am not completely surprised or disillusioned. On the contrary, I know this is the time for me to start digging very deep for patience. Otherwise I could easily go nuts!

What certainly helps is knowing I have the rock-solid commitment to continue on the program until I reach my goal. There will be no stopping beforehand. I have come too far to toss in the towel and say, "Hey, I lost 54 lbs. and that's enough." No, I must keep going to get out of the obese range -- once I hit the 170s -- and then take it the next step to move from the "overweight" range into the "healthy" range (160s). I do not know how long this will take. Will I be at goal in December? January? I am not sure. But push ahead I will.

Honestly, I'm a little worried right now about eating "real" food regularly. Having my Optifast products is so much easier. No decisions need to be made. Preparation is a snap. All my nutritional requirements are met. Everything is consumed on schedule. In short, not a lot of thinking is required! This will all change once real food is reintroduced. Am I ready? Certainly not today. I'm glad I have more time to mentally prepare for this. I need it.

So, in essence, I'm not in a rush right now. Yes, I'm going to hunker down for the final leg of Phase One of my journey. But as always, I'll keep going day by day, staying in the present, watching my weight go down at its own pace. This is going to take time, but it's all going to be worth it in the end. As Winston Churchill said: "Never give up! Never give up! Never give up!" Great words to live by!