My bar is green! I am within site of my goal. I feel very weird about this. (And loving it, of course!)
Hi everyone. Sorry, I've been silent for awhile.
I'm thinking, now that I'm close, that the goal number is somewhat irrelevant. It was seriously a number I pulled out of my head when I started this journey and the website demanded that I input one. In truth? I had no idea what I was planning to do, nor did I have any expectations of success (after 20+ years of abject failure). But I took the plunge, started tracking my food, and reading posts. Within about a week, I was convinced that low-carb was the right choice for me.
And the weight started coming off. I mean really coming off. Not just the 10-15 pounds I was able to lose on just about any diet I started (because we all know it was just fluid-weight). When I hit 20lbs, it got real. Then 30 lbs, then 40...
And now, I have lost over 70lbs and I am a completely different person. No, I am NOT the "same me inside". Before I lost this weight, the "me" inside was no better than the me outside. I was depressed, defeated, and dejected. And let's throw in disgusted. I hated who I had become and felt powerless to be anything else. Now, I am so much healthier, more alert, more involved in my life. It's a beautiful thing!
And now that I am nearing the "goal", here's my plan going forward.
Business as usual.
I don't have any plans to change my eating habits or exercise routine at this time. I've adjusted to the fact that I am planning to follow this WOE for the rest of my life. Within the past 9 months, I've encountered holidays, birthdays, celebrations, weddings, pot luck dinners, and other significant life events. I have found my inner strength to enjoy each and every occasion without adding pounds to my stature. I have discovered that I can tolerate small amounts of carbs any time I need them, and I can tolerate even large portions once in a while (like the night I went Mexi-loco and ate chips and cheese dip, chimichangas, rice, beans, and beer).
I can live this life and enjoy it! I might stop losing weight somewhere near my goal, or I might not. I'm letting my body call the shots this time. I will continue my WOE, which right now is offering up a beautiful downward sloping graph depicting steady weight loss. When my body reaches it's perfect weight, it will know and we will have arrived. As it is, I eat plenty of food each day (unless I'm fasting) and celebrate every occasion I want to celebrate. I have no need to change what I'm eating now for the sake of a number. I am happy with who I am today, and can't wait to see who I will be tomorrow.
Happy Monday!
