The hardest part of this journey for me wasn't the weight loss or the maintenance. It's the fight against returning to my old ways. And the danger of that is just as great in both places. I've been low-carbing for 2 1/2 years and I still think it would take me less than a month to be right back into my old (horrible, horrible) eating patterns if I didn't use the tools I have (exercise, the scale, my clothes, my support system, online & in real life) to choose everyday to live a healthier life.

That is the hard part for me, choosing the healthy option everyday when the old, unhealthy option is easier (and frankly, far tastier). This hasn't gotten much easier in maintenance, but it's not harder either. If anything it does get minutely more easy every day, I guess slowly habits form and the new way becomes normal. I have to say, the early days of my journey, the first couple of months, were hard. The journey ahead seemed impossible, the lure of my old lifestyle was strong and seductive, and everyday my choice to live a more healthy lifestyle seemed like drudgery.

So, after thinking it over, I have to say I think starting was the hardest part for me, making it past the transition from my old ways to where the new ways at least started to feel a little normal. Maybe I was "lucky" I had so much weight to lose and took a long time to lose the last 30 lbs, it let me make that transition to maintenance without the difficulty that some others have.

Val