Secrets To Success

A friend on the Optifast Chat Support page on Facebook posted this wonderful picture yesterday. It so neatly sums up the simple steps one needs to follow to successfully reach your goal while on the Optifast products. I am thrilled to see my "One Day At A Time" mantra topping the list -- as you know, I have worked that concept all the way through Phase I of my 80 lbs. loss journey, which will probably end up taking 9 months.  Honestly, time has flown by and I am so pleased with my results. One foot in front of the other, one shake, one soup at a time, I have carved off an incredible amount of weight. A great accomplishment, to be sure. I'm not at goal yet, but I'm very, very close. And staying in the day has kept me focused and motivated all the way through.

Some other things on this list really stand out for me: Believe in yourself, acknowledge your attributes, and be kind to yourself. All three do wonders for your self-esteem. Recognize your progress (very important). CELEBRATE every pound lost! Even if it is .5 lb., that is another step towards your goal. Pat yourself on the back! And focus on how you feel, not on the scale. This is absolutely critical, in my opinion. We must learn to process our feelings in new ways that do not include eating. This will be a key to maintenance. If we limit ourselves to putting all of our energy into a scale obsession, we are missing out on some very, very important self-work that needs to be done so we can keep our weight off. We have worked hard to reach our goal. Let's not undermine this by avoiding implementation of new behaviors that promote healthy eating and living.

Finally, the last item on the list -- don't compare yourself to others -- carries great significance for me. As someone who loses slowly, I could have thrown in the towel months ago if I allowed myself to get wrapped up in comparisons of myself to those losing 4 or 5 lbs. a week, or those who successfully shed 80 lbs. in half the amount of time than me. My body moves at its own pace, and the important thing is I have knocked off 67 lbs. and have just 13 lbs. more to lose. Optifast has worked for me. Sometimes things happen quickly, sometimes slowly, and I have always believed that slow and steady wins the race. I am almost home. I can see the finish line. Which is wonderful.

For those struggling to stay motivated in your own Optifast journey, think about this list and begin implementing some of the sage advice contained in it. It will make you feel better about yourself, and could kick-start your dedication to the program. Follow these steps to success and victory is yours!