My maintenance journey, as you know, has been fraught with worry, as I put a lot of pressure on myself to "beat the odds" and keep my weight off. That's a pretty big burden to be lugging around, but I'm taking my slow steps -- like expanding my menus -- to ease up on things. I am thrilled to report my weigh-in today was 167 lbs. Sure, it may not hold, but I have not been down to this weight in months. Just 7 pounds away from my old goal now.
I think about all the worry I have gone through to get to this point and it saddens, no, it frustrates me. It's sort of a "knee jerk" reaction I have that kicks in whenever I am having troubles with a challenge or facing unpredictable situations. Sure, I might try to strive for a "worry-free" life, but it appears I'm just "hot wired" for it. It's just a part of me.
Now, the more I feel comfortable about a situation, the more things are certain, the worry diminishes. I'm sure that goes for most worry warts. Big changes give me lots of trouble, and this explains why my maintenance path has been very bumpy. Overhauling my eating, including what I eat and when I eat; incorporating exercise when previously I lived an almost entirely sedentary lifestyle; delving into why I overeat and eat so quickly. This is a lot to do and process. But I'm putting in the time and effort, and I think that's why I've been able to cap my regain at a point where I can rely on dieting to bring it back down. So I'm grateful for that.
No, my worrying won't go completely away. But it is indeed true. It doesn't get you anywhere!
I found your blog on Friday morning and spent hours on Saturday reading the entire thing from start to finish. You are such an inspiration. I am on day four and those first couple of days were challenging, but it's like your blog was speaking directly to me.
ReplyDeleteI, too, need to lose 80 lbs. I am very close to your age, didn't have a weight problem until adulthood, but unlike you, my problem is eating out instead of cooking. It's not that I can't cook, I just don't enjoy it. But I have used your idea for adding extracts to the shakes and it makes them much better. I can't wait to try adding spices and herbs to the soups!
Anyway, thank you so much for blogging about your experience. There is no motivation better than seeing another person succeed the way you have. Your dedication to eating for health is inspirational! ~Dana
Thank you so very much Dana! It has always been my deep, deep hope that I can help everyone along their Optifast journeys. This has been such an "interesting" (LOL) process for me. Ups and downs, good days, bad days -- I've experienced it all. Please, feel free to send me an email if you need one-on-one support as you work through the program. I'm here to cheer you on all the way!!! Take care friend. Melissa
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