The Single Biggest Struggle

I think the single biggest struggle in this journey, for me, anyway, has been the frustration with the plateaus. I have to say, when I am dropping weight, there is a tremendous RUSH! It feels good! I like when my clothes get baggy. I like being able to go down a size. I like when people comment about the changes in me. I like seeing changes in the mirror.

I understand that the plateaus are part of the journey. It gives my body a chance to adjust and to rest from the periods of losing. And maintaining is NOT gaining. That is also a very important thing. I’ve been doing this long enough to see that it will pass, eventually, and I just have to be patient and upbeat about it. I try very hard to do just that. But there are days where I just want to hurry up and get where I’m going…RIGHT NOW! On www.obesityhelp.com, I have preached patience and acceptance of the resting times to many different people. I am sure a much better preacher than I am a “practicer.”

Lately, I find myself wondering if this is as far as I’m going to go. All things considered, where I am right now is NOT a bad place to be. My health has improved dramatically. My size and my BMI have both dropped significantly. I have more energy, and am able to walk and work and DO much more than I remember in the past several years. I feel good. I’ve come to the conclusion that I could stay right here and be perfectly content. I keep telling myself that I never did this to LOOK a certain way; I did it to FEEL a certain way. I am there. In fact, I have far exceeded my goals in how good I feel.

I can only think that this restlessness is because I care more about how I look than I ever thought I would. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t spend hours planning my wardrobe, or fussing with makeup and hair. However, I DO spend more time with those things these days. And I’m truly cognizant of the fact that being healthy is not necessarily tied to being a certain size. So, I’m giving myself the pep talk – and doing my best to listen this time!