I started my journey in February, class 3 obese at 275lbs. Today I have lost 10% of my body weight and am class 2 obese. February to November. Could I have done more to weigh less at this point? Absolutely. But to me the bigger victories have been off the scale.
February I hit my limit, decided it was time to do something about my size, and decided I was allowed to make my health a priority; I am worth it. When I became extremely ill a week after making this decision (thanks, reproductive system) I didn't let it derail me as I always have in the past.
April with my newfound confidence from an initial weight loss I determined that my best chance at success was also to treat my mental health and I allowed myself that space without using it as an excuse to quit working on my physical health.
May I hit one of my busy seasons at work, when I would normally give up on eating right and to help meet my goals I reached out for help from people around me to keep me honest and accountable, something I have always struggled with doing.
June I hit a depressive episode and instead of wallowing I practiced actual self care and used it as an excuse to start walking more. I also reached out to my mental health team and requested a change in medication instead of just stopping it because of the side effects - life changing. The "I am worth it" mindset made a difference even with the depression telling me otherwise.
July I was diagnosed with a condition that notoriously makes losing weight more difficult. Previously I would have written this off as evidence that my weight was out of my control. Instead, I told myself it was only impossible if I quit, and kept going.
August I went on vacation and didn't use it as an excuse to totally check out of the habits I was working on (portion control, logging everything, drinking more water and less everything else). I came back from vacation having maintained instead of gained, a first in many years.
September I had a minor surgery unrelated to my weight and received compliments from my medical team on my journey so far. I gave myself two days after surgery without logging as I recovered from anesthesia before getting right back to it and losing a little more.
October I hit a new milestone at 25lbs lost and down a pant size, discovered in the happiest jeans shopping I've ever done. I also finally came to terms with the idea that I can hate the diet industry for its extremes and dangerous messages and still take care of my body with CICO; the two are not, in fact, mutually exclusive. I joined this community.
November I reached 10% lost.
I have had major up and down days, gone through stretches of maintaining instead of losing, binged in the candy bowl, you name it. The big difference this time is not making any of that into reasons to give up.
In addition to "I am worth it" and "it's only impossible if you quit", I've added "slow progress is still progress" to my list of mantras. I am learning what works for me: logging all my food, skipping breakfast for larger lunches/dinners, allowing moderation in junk food if it fits in the budget, and weighing in daily to stay honest.
I am also making huge strides in my mental and emotional health, advocating for myself, working with a medical team instead of avoiding them, and prioritizing so my work does not derail my health goals completely twice a year.
Sometimes I read other stories and feel like I'm failing because it seems like I'm not getting there at the same speed as everyone else, but I'm finding it more useful to remember it's okay as long as I keep going.
I could have cut back more, pushed harder, moved faster. But these lessons, slow as they are, were hard-earned and well worth the wait. And now I'm ready for the next 10%.
[link] [comments]
from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2NTestN
No comments:
Post a Comment