How to be a Weight Loss Success!
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What does successful weight loss mean? As I reach my second anniversary since hitting target weight, I’ve been pondering success and what it means to me. At first when I started my diet it was easy, I just wanted to lose weight. But now I want to keep the weight off and stay slim forever!
In one way, I’m a failure. I’m four pounds over my original target weight. But if I think about it differently, I’m a real success! I’ve kept my weight well within a healthy range for two years. I eat healthily; I exercise regularly; I’m active, fit and healthy and more confident than ever. I can run further and longer than I ever could in my life and I’m working hard to make sure that I stay healthy and active for as long as I can.
But what’s really changed is that for the first time in my life I’m in control of my weight. Gosh it felt strange saying that! But I do feel at peace with what I eat and what I weigh. I’ve lost that urgent need to control my eating and count every calorie. I don’t feel anxious, needing to watch every mouthful and worry about every minor fluctuation of the scales. I can go on holiday or out with the girls and know that I’ll be happily back to my normal healthy eating straight afterwards. After two years it feels totally natural. I have a new normal. I’m beginning to relax into the new me.
If you’d asked me after I finished my diet I’d have said that every pound over target was a failure. Now two years on, knowing just how hard it’s been to manage my weight, four pounds sounds not too bad at all. It could very easily have been much more than that believe me!
It’s quite a knotty problem. Is success losing 4 pounds and staying that weight forever? Is it staying at a healthy weight or BMI even if you’re up from your target weight? Is it not putting on too much? I guess there are as many ways of defining success as there are dieters!
Staying slim for me has been a long and winding road rather than a straight line, but it’s got easier and easier as time goes on and now it’s more or less second nature. I don’t have to work as hard now to stay slim, but I can’t be complacent or assume I don’t have to try any more.
What really matters is what we think, not what others tell us. This time next year I want to be the same weight or maybe a few pounds less; to be eating healthily and being active and feeling good about me and my weight. If I can do that, I’ll be really, really pleased.
What about you?
Suex
What a great idea! I love the thought of walking to Barcelona! I hope you get some sun at the end of your trip. Friends really get us throiugh don't they? It's great to know you're not on your own. I hope you're feeling really proud, you're doing great! :-)
Comment by StaySlimSue -
Weighing in once a week really helps focus. I also walk twice a week with friends.
I've just bought a pedometer and that is making me really conscious of days when I haven't taken enough exercise.
My friends and I have just decided to walk virtually to Barcelona. We add up how far we've all walked every week - so far 39 miles. Our reward will be a trip there together. I think it will take us a few months to cover enough miles - over 1000 - to make the actual trip.
Comment by CRED5757 -
That's fantastic! The thought of going back is too awful to contemplate. How do you manage to stay on top of it? :-)
Comment by StaySlimSue -
Hi Sue, I'm in exactly the same position. I lost 3 stone 9 pounds and reached my goal a while ago but have now crept up 5 pounds. I'm still a healthy BMI but realise if I have much over the original diet my weigh goes up again. I love being a smaller size and having a choice of clothes and walk much more than I did before.
Comment by CRED5757 -