Slow and Steady Again

One pound. Yay! I do not mind a one pound a week loss.....in fact, that makes me very glad.

There was a time when I would have felt like a big fat failure if I averaged 'only' one pound a week.

Maybe that is why all those previous weight loss attempts failed miserably.

I'm happy with an average pound a week because over a year that means 52 lbs. Now, compared to 130 lbs (which I needed to lose, I thought) 52 lbs does not sound terrific....it is not even half way there! HOWEVER.....52 pounds is huge! 52 lbs would require a new wardrobe...would give renewed energy, more of a love for myself. It would win compliments, give me more confidence, spur me on to even more good choices. I know, because for the first time in my overweight life, I kept going - even when I was 'only' losing 1 pound a week - I have lost (nearly) that much.

Too bad I stalled out for awhile....I'd be in onederland, for sure by now.

But...I've learned that it is not all about whether or not I gain or lose. It is not all about how many times I eat clean or how many times I 'cheat'. Nor is it about plateaus or steady losses. It is all about learning to think differently.

Do I really care about what I put in my body?

Do I ever think about the long term consequences of living a sedentary life style?

I have learned to think about such things as sodium content, the kind of oil used, what flour is used, are spray-dried powdered eggs or milk used in the product?

I've learned to cook it myself rather than buy processed foods - that way, I can control what is in the food I eat. I've learned to enjoy preparing my food rather than just grabbing something quick - even when I'm the only one who is going to eat what I cook.

I am learning to be a healthier person - and not only on the outside! Because I learned what a difference 52 pounds makes - first hand. I gained confidence in myself by losing a pound a week for a year. Today, even with the small seback I've had, I am different than I was in Dec 2007.

I am not yet where I want to be.....I often make poor choices, I am not even in onederland yet, I am still more self-conscious than I'd like to be, and I do not make activity a part of my everyday life.

Yet.

But I KNOW that a pound a week makes a HUGE difference over time....and with every pound lost, with every mile walked, I have more time to enjoy my life and my family.

So.....I lost a pound this week!

I'm back on track!