Here we are in mid February. We’ve been going for about six weeks now and the novelty has well and truely worn off. It seems like a long time ago that we were all so excited about starting the New Year afresh, and setting those New Year’s Resolutions. I, personally, have lost 18.6lbs and am feeling more comfortable in myself. I can walk without having to cling to my asthma inhaler, I’m sleeping better, and my jeans keep falling down. All of which you would think would be highly motivating! Except that it is easy to say “I’m doing so well! I’ve got this down! I can drink that extra wine/eat that cake/chocolate/gravy and it won’t matter if I don’t exercise today”. And before I know it I’m back to all my old habits.
Well, it’s what always happens; isn’t it?
Every diet I’ve ever been on has been the same…right? That’s how I ended up at 250lbs in the first place!
Why did I think this time would be any different? I might as well not even try!!
Right?
Except… NO!
It’s not the same this time. This time I made a lifetime change, and this time I’m going to lose all 100 of those horrid extra pounds.
And I am making better choices. So maybe I did drink a lot of wine this weekend, but I didn’t drink as much as I would have in the past. When friends came over yesterday afternoon and we opened a bottle (or three), I drank chamomile tea instead until dinner was served and then I had some wine. That’s calories saved!
And my friend brought over a yummy dip with whole black beans, sun dried tomatoes, avocado and onion. Sure I had a handful of tortilla chips, but then instead of having another handful of tortilla chips I put some dip on my plate and ate it like a salad. That’s calories saved!!
So while this weekend wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t the lifestyle changing disaster that I originally thought it was. I am still making little choices that when added together make a difference. I may not be running in the right direction this week, but I am still moving forward, with baby steps, and in my book that’s better than turning tail and heading for the hills!
So when the going gets tough will you turn and run, or will you focus on the little successes that when put together make up the mountain?
We can do this. We CAN move this mountain!!
Move A Mountain For Duvall! 
Excellent post, Fiona! And timely for me, too. As you (may or may not) know, I’ve been focusing on lifestyle changes, too, with my food choices and fitness regimen being the biggest components. Any weight loss would be just a bonus, but not the goal. I’ve had to deal with gluten issues my whole life, all undiagnosed. I finally went mostly gluten free last August and the benefit was immediate. Then I did a challenge with friends, and for a month cut out a bunch of other stuff that could have been contributing to continuing joint and digestive issues. It was hard, but not impossible, and I felt good. Good enough that yes, this weekend, I had a few of those forbidden foods. Today I feel like a truck hit me. Obviously I need to not eat those things. Having it hit me so hard has probably helped, as there really could not be a clearer signal that those food items are bad for me. If I just sort of felt yucky, then I probably would’ve found a ton of excuses for why I could still eat them. Will there be days when I decide that it is worth the risk? Probably. But I will choose one item, not three, and not all at the same time, and in smaller quantity…you get the idea.
I think too often we don’t listen to our bodies. If I feel lousy, why keep doing the same thing? If I feel better, why not keep doing that? Yes, there are days that I’m tired and don’t want to go workout. But I feel better when I do workout, so off I go. I need to remember that with my food choices now, too. I’ve cleansed it all out, why put the yucky stuff back in????
And don’t feel bad about the avocado dip. 🙂 Avocados are full of good fats and loaded with nutrients. Just don’t eat the whole bowl. Good choice to skip the extra chips! You are right, those small steps all add up and every single one of them counts!