Side Note 1: Before and after pictures follow...
Today is my ONE year anniversary in maintaining my goal weight plus more. I reached my goal weight of 130 lbs on 10 March 2014. I lost a total of 16 more pounds by 16 November, 4 months ago.
What a brilliant gift each morning to step on the scales and still see 113-115 lbs registered. I know I am truly blessed to have been able to finally figure all this out for myself and for my good physical/mental health, my happiness and self-esteem!
It’s taken me literally decades to figure out but I’ve finally arrived to the truth by acknowledging my food-related issues and taking actions that will help me deal with each and every one of them. And like they say “the truth will set you free!” And I am now free of “Fat Jo” as long as I stay ever faithful to my LC WOE journey and vigilant about what can set HER off! Okay I’m a very very slow learner!!
I would have never thought that this would be possible. Well actually, I never EVER did maintenance before so who knew what I could accomplish if I set my eye on the prize of maintaining my weight loss.
I am so proud of myself for finally figuring out that weight loss was totally
NOT the ultimate goal but in reality the most important part was to keep the weight off forever! I never gave maintenance a second thought.
I assumed that once I lost the weight... nothing... I thought nothing of it... stupid I know that now!
They say FAIL to PLAN and you PLAN to FAIL!
That would be how maintenance did so NOT happen in those successful weight loss attempts all those times. Oh yeah, I’d lose the weight...but not one thought about now what? How do I keep it off? I thought I was a carb eater like everyone else.
I wasted so much of my adult life yo-yoing from losing 100s of pounds to gaining them all back plus more and then repeat, rinse and recycle!
Over the course of my adult life I know I have lost at least 400 lbs (I still have the data to prove it). That doesn’t include all those times I’d lose weight then reward my GOOD eating behavior with those horribly addictive, insidiously toxic, poisonous
killer carb-age foods only to recycle the same pounds on and off over and over again. How insane is that? And how many pounds was that? Holy Hannah, I can’t even think about how many that was... gees! What a complete idiot I was back then!
Yes that was
INSANITY at its finest because I would repeat the same action over and over again and expect a different result! To finally have the insight and acknowledge that weight loss was not the final destination has been HUGE. I thank whatever forces were at work that made me finally realize the truth behind my life-long journey of struggling to lose the weight again and again and again!
To never be “Fat Jo” physically again is such a relief and I know exactly HOW to keep that stupid fat self-destructive bitch from ruining my life once more! I must continue day in and day out to make proper food CHOICES and to live my motto “SEAL” each and every day without fail:
Stay Committed 100%
Eat Properly & Exercise Daily
Accept the things I cannot control & change the things I can.
L ive my life to be Successful at following this LC WOE!
Because let’s face it she really does ruin my life. “Fat Jo” is a self-destructive carb-addicted fat bitch who destroys my good mental/physical health, self-love and self-esteem.
I said to physically never be “Fat Jo” again is liberating but I know she is always right there under the surface of my consciousness lurking, willing and ready to be unleashed and cause chaos in my life if I ever give her the slightest toe hold.
She is strong especially once she gets into my head about all that carb-age crap! But I am now mentally stronger than she is when she is contained and I know HOW to keep her contained and stop her from ever doing me harm again!! It’s far easier to keep her caged because honestly, I don’t think I have the emotional fortitude to fight the battle of the carbs with her again.
I understand that I will have to continue to battle her each and every day, but at least it isn’t a battle of “trying” to lose weight. It’s only keeping it off forever. How does one wrap ones head about doing something forever? I have an easy solution because I can’t comprehend forever, it’s so abstract and intangible to me. I seriously only think about today, yesterday is gone and there’s not a blessed thing I can do about it and tomorrow will take care of itself.
I only have to stay focused and in control of my eating for today. I have to eat on plan 100% today and I’ll worry about tomorrow when it becomes today!
I am the type of person that is totally overwhelmed by “big picture” concepts. I am a detailed oriented person. I like little pieces, I can manage little pieces very well. So that’s how I am going to have to do this... one little piece (day) at a time. I can remain successful for today! And every successful day becomes a successful week etc. I always remember that success builds on success!
Year one of maintenance under my belt, today is the first day to year two!
Here is my before picture taken May 2013:
My After picture taken 21 December 2014. With my A’ 72 Hard Core Warrior t-shirt designed by PauletteB1!
Hi! My name is Jo and I’m a recovering morbidly obese carb addict!
Keep Fighting the Good Fight ~ It is soooo WORTH it!!!!
My life and soul changing journey continues forever...
Side Note 2: Some parts of the post above are musing on my first anniversary of maintenance that I posted last week in my journal.
I figured they really did best communicate my thoughts, feelings and attitude concerning this important milestone on my journey so why re-write? I did however add more!