In an earlier post, I mentioned that people were asking me how I had lost weight – like I’d already met my goal (I hadn’t, but was close-ish). This got me thinking. How will I know if I’ve been successful in this quest to remain at a healthy weight?
I figured that success would be keeping it off for a year. So here I am, almost a year later checking in! So did I manage it? Did I keep it all off? No… not quite.
I think at the root of my problem is the fact that I am a fundamental optimist. I always try to see the upside. In the past year I managed to keep off most of the weight I had lost. Note the use of most. In my head that means I’ve succeeded. Unfortunately… reality is checked when I try on the tight-fitting cream dress (the goal dress) from May last year. Nope… the zip won’t do up! I’ve conveniently dismissed the weight I’ve put back on, as I’ve still kept ‘most’ of it off. In my head keeping more than 50% off was a success. Blatantly this is skewed thinking so I’ve given myself a talking to and I’m back to fix it!
During the year, I’ve been weighing regularly myself, but had been thinking ‘I just need to lose my holiday weight’. What only just dawned on me is that I’ve now got 3 holidays to recover from, dating back to August last year – and that includes the WHOLE month of December which was one long food and drink holiday! In truth, I’d also ignored the fact that it’s been taking me longer to get ready in the mornings – looking for flattering outfits to wear to cover up – how shall I put this – some extra bumps and bulges that really shouldn’t be there!
I realised all this last week and so I started my new quest last Monday. Today is day 6. I have set my goals. I have written them down in a spreadsheet and an old-fashioned diary that I carry round with me. That always helps for me.
My friend, Jott, said to me last week “Last year, nothing would stop you from meeting your goal – you were so determined”. And it’s true. I wanted to fit in the dress more than I wanted a big glass of wine. I have refound my motivation and I’m bringing that determination back in an 8-week attack to get the weight back off – taking me to mid-May.
If you’re doing something similar – good luck – we can do this.
Changing - one step at a time 
Good luck Andrea – I love your writings and will follow your progress. I am in a similar position with week 2 of reformed eating completed!
The difficulty for me is this, when giving up smoking or drinking you can completely eradicate it from your life and make the choice to not do it at all however we have to eat, this means I have to use immense willpower to make healthy choices ALL THE TIME and I therefore have this constant battle going on.
Nigel and I are going out for dinner tonight and to be honest, I am dreading it. It will be a massive test on my willpower and involve a total sacrifice of major food groups today so that I can eat tonight but summer is just around the corner and those light summer dresses will feel so much better for a strict eating regime now.
We can do this!
Cx
PS When shall we meet for a glass of wine? 😉
Hi Carol, lovely to hear from you! Good luck tonight … the social bit is so tough … have a work function next week which will be equally tricky and out for lunch next Sunday. I’m thinking fish or chicken and veggies or salad? We can just do our best and get back on it asap. As you say is a constant challenge … highly annoying!
We will do this! PS what about meeting for a skinny cappuccino instead? Xx
Gosh my motivation has been coming and going for the past two years!
I am also on the wagon with ya, I have 5kg to be at my goal weight, but the last 5 are always the hardest.
But you are right, we can do this, we show up don’t we?! 🙂
We sure do! 5 kg … not much… 5 weeks at 1 kg a week if one was focused 🙂 I definitely need a goal to work towards. A date. A dress. A celebration. I can usually stay focused til then… then I just kind of forget I need to stay there and it creeps slowly back on. Have you given yourself a deadline? Mine is May 15th.
Well, not so much a deadline really. I have been struggling with the last 10kg for a whole year now, and actually now have weighed in today to find that I am at my lowest since before pregnancy. mini-yay! ha!
I have been transitioning to a paleo diet for the past 3 weeks with some awesome results, so in terms of a deadline I think I am more focused on getting in all the right stuff which has so far resulted in losing…
If I were to be really honest with myself, I would like to lose this last 5 by 5th May, which is when I go to Rarotonga for a much needed holiday, but I am not going stress myself out about it. *hopefully* lol
Well done!!! So I am going for May 14th deadline to get into a dress by 7 weeks tomorrow. Raro? How wonderful – was lucky enough to go there for a friend’s wedding. Good luck. Keep me posted? 🙂
Good luck to you too! Will keep ya in the loop 🙂
So didn’t manage the 8-week push. Was ‘good’ for a bit and then got sidetracked. I guess my motivation wasn’t strong enough. Back to it now!