hi-
tomorrow is my 11th Planniversary! It has been an amazing 11 years. This is a post I put in the Maintenance threads- and I wanted to post it here too.

The first year was like a miracle- changing the way I ate transformed my health and my body. I weighed what I did in college when I ran daily- and I felt AMAZING. Lots of energy, no aches and pains (once I got used to bones and elbows and hips sticking out in places they had not stuck out before!)- amazing.

The last 10 years of maintaining has not been a walk in the park - it is a DECISION to stay on this WOL. It is SO TEMPTING to eat the SAD- so tempting to have all the carbs presented in restaurants, on the street, at friend's houses. But I continue to choose ME. I'm more important than a frozen yogurt, or my friend's feelings if I don't eat her scones at 3 pm (or anytime for that matter). Travel and being away from my home present different challenges- I can't have a hot dog on the street with a bun, or a falafel sandwich in pita, or a pretzel or donut or ice cream (the list could go on and on). So instead I have the hot dog without the bun on a piece of aluminum foil, the gyro meat on a plate, the nuts from the bag I carry, a club soda or a bottle of water, and an iced coffee or hot coffee- black. I am choosing ME- my health, my body.
Things have changed in 10 years. My weight crept up with too many carbs, changes in meds, and ( I swear) just aging. Carb creep is a real thing for me- I have to pull myself back sometimes and be honest that I'm eating too many carbs or having too many foods I can't eat on a regular basis. I think of maintaining as a process- still learning and still evolving.

I still am not as comfortable with my body as I'd like to be- as I've written here - I know I don't see myself as I really look. I LOVE this body and hope I treat it well- a different issue for me than my body image. Still working on this too.

I want to thank this site- I don't know how I could have done this without the support, information and SPACE this place gives me. I know none of you know me or have met me - but thank you.
Now- on to year 12!!!
E