Reflecting..

A few months ago I was doing a photo shoot in Crown Point and I walked past one of the store front windows and caught a glimpse of my reflection. I can remember the countless times in the past seeing my reflection and turning my head because I didn't really like what was looking back at me. That doesn't mean I didn't like who I was it just means I didn't like what I looked like on the outside. Over the past 3 years my outside has changed. That's just the result of changing my mind and my thoughts and adding action to what I've learned. I'm still learning. I have spent the last year in weight maintenance. I always thought the toughest part was losing the weight but now that I'm maintaining, I believe the toughest is in maintaining the weight. You are no longer seeing results on the scale, you are no longer dropping clothing sizes..the excitment of losing the weight is past you and now you have to wrap your mind around not having those rewards anymore. You find your rewards in setting new goals and, in my opinion, seeing how much more you can grow in your will and perserverance. Over the past year I've discovered the will to stay and the perserverance to see it through has to remain just as strong. How you learn to lose your weight is how you will maintain it. I sometimes think that I will always battle the emotional eating issues and the way I push my needs, as far as taking care of myself, to the back burner to make sure everyone else is taken care of first. Battle them, not necessarily give in to them. For those of us that have struggled with weight issues most of our lives and know and understand the internal battle that goes on can understand what I'm about to talk about. We're told losing weight is easy, you should burn more calories than you take in.. they make it sound so easy. But see, if you haven't struggled with weight issues, if you haven't tried to lose weight a 100+ times, haven't read every book about weight loss and if given the choice between a million dollars or to be healthy and thin.. you'd choose thin every time.. if you haven't had these thoughts in your mind, you don't really understand that it is much more than just burning more calories than you consume. It is a battle of the mind. At times it can be so emotionally and mentally exhausting because you're so used to just feeding the issues with food that you have to fight against giving in and giving up. I have learned over the past year that, yes I've gotten stronger, but those tendencies still remain. Not as strong but they are still there. I'll be honest with you, when the percentage of people that regain their weight back is so high, it is very scary! The statistics are so gloomy. One statistic I read said that about 80% gain their weight plus more within 2 years of losing it. How depressing is that?! Now do I think that we should use that as an excuse to gain it back or to not even start losing in the first place? Nah :) My mind thinks about that 20%! You see, it comes down to a mind set change. The biggest battle is won in the mind! You see, the smaller clothes and the good reports we get from the doctor are all just a result of a change of mind. I have said this before, if you push through those barriers in your mind, those thoughts that say you can't do this, you will make it! You will get stronger!!! I am not going to tell you that you will never struggle, but you are teaching yourself how to persevere! Let your will win! I want to cry just writing this blog. This is something I feel so deep about. I know the struggle.. I know the desire to be healthy. I know the desire to feel good about the way you look on the outside. I know. I KNOW. I wish I could make it easy for you but I can't. It isn't an easy road but it sure is one worth traveling. I just want to yell.. "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!! Fight hard for yourself!!! Don't give in to the mind when it says to quit!!" So to you, if you are on this journey.. FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are tired of just living this way.. FIIIIIIIGHT HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more quitting and giving in!

Fight hard!
Mel :)