Ready, Set, MAINTAIN!!!

If you're my friend you probably know that I have FINALLY hit my weight goal! Ahhh.. It feels great!! Seriously, it took me longer than I had originally hoped and expected. I figured it would take me about a year, 10 pounds a month seemed reasonable to me! But apparently, I needed longer. Now that I've gotten here and have taken a look back on the past few years (yes, it took me 2 years to get here) I now realize that 2 years to learn and adapt to a new lifestyle really is ok with me! It means a new lifestyle, longer life, healthier more active lives for my family and much more. I want this to stick. I NEVER want to go back to my old ways. The past few months I've been looking up articles and blogs on how to maintain. I've been talking to many that have lost weight and have kept it off. There are different laps in this race we call "weight loss" losing the weight being the first lap and now the lap of maintaining. I've heard and read about how it is easier losing the weight than maintaining. Now, I know I am just a beginner at maintaining, but I honestly don't know how it can be any harder than losing it. So of course, I have a plan :) It seems to me that there are a few key factors in maintaining. And I also believe that if you adapt these factors for losing, maintaining will be easier than what you might have read and heard. I believe the main key to live your weight loss out for a lifetime is to first lose weight or "diet" in a way you can live that way for the rest of your life. I am a huge fan of Weight Watchers, as I should be, but I don't believe it is the ONLY way to lose weight. I think the reason WW works is because it teaches you how to live it as a lifestyle. You are allowed to eat whatever you want (my favorite part of the program) and it teaches you portion control and overall healthy eating. I have found that my biggest prize hasn't been hitting my goal but it is learning all these things along the way. See, my biggest prize is that I'm going to be able to maintain this for the rest of my life. I believe staying connected to others, having accountability with people that have either walked with you through your weight loss or maybe have gone through what you've gone through. Continue to set goals, because let's face it.. when it's all said and done, it's up to you. So challenging yourself by setting small goals is a good way to keep you focused. How about setting some activity goals like running a 5K, 10K or something else. Setting a goal in, "I've kept my weight off for 6 months, now I'm going for 6 more months." I am a big believer in choosing a "diet" plan that works for you! If you are losing weight by drinking shakes, cutting out your favorite foods, or eating just grape fruit, you have to ask yourself, "Is this something I can do for the rest of my life?" If you're losing in a healthy way, a liveable way, you're learning how to maintain right now! It's not about how fast can you lose the weight (even though we all want it off like RIGHT NOW!!!) but it really comes down to giving yourself and your family the gift of a healthy life. I am so thankful for the process.. the long 2 year process! Those two years would've passed with or without me doing this.. so why not just do it?! I plan to continue to blog in the hopes that I can help others along the way. I just want to encourage you to never quit! However long it may take you, it's worth it! And give yourself the prize of doing it in a healthy liveable way. Don't cheat yourself out of letting the process become your lifestyle. It's not worth doing the work if you're not going to be able to maintain it. And allowing it to become your lifestyle is the greatest gift for maintaining. NEVER GIVE UP!!!!