Leaving 2013 Lighter!

I am proud to report that I have lost 45 pounds! I actually LOST WEIGHT during the holiday season - a major first for me! How did I do it? Well, let me tell you. I did it one bite, one meal, one pound at a time. I know, I know. It's not an impressive response, but it works. Instead of focusing on how much I needed to lose (A LOT) or how many calories I consumed, I lived in the moment. I made choices based on what was in front of me, and I gave myself permission to leave food on the plate.

It's not rocket science, but maybe it should be. Losing weight, especially for someone who needs to lose more than 300 lbs., is the stuff of Einstein. It's not just willpower. It's not just eating the right foods or working out. It's not just genetics or hormonal wig-outs. It's all of these things and more. It's support from your friends and family. It's not letting the numbers freak you out. It's not killing yourself today on the treadmill so that you can't even walk tomorrow, which means you probably won't even look at the treadmill again.

It's slow and steady like the tortoise, and it's frustrating as hell. And now that I think about it, the Tortoise and the Hare analogy works perfectly: crash diets are like the Hare and Weight Watchers is a total Tortoise.

One pound at a time is what I tell myself every time I weigh. It helps me to remember that I don't need to focus on the numbers, but rather the successes. Each day offers a new opportunity to choose better than I did the day before. It's a chance to learn more, which is never-ending.

So, when you get on the scale and you're not seeing the results you want, maybe you should step back and try to shift your focus to the now. You can't change the choices you made a year ago or even yesterday, so stop beating yourself up over them. Plus, you didn't gain the weight overnight, so you're not going to lose it that way either.

Don't compare your success to others or stress out that you're not losing enough fast enough. The future is unknown and everything you can control starts now, not tomorrow.

One pound at a time - that's how I'm changing my mind, my body and my life.