A Lifetime of Change

“Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride”. Ecclesiastes 7:8

It’s been almost a year since I started on my weight loss journey, and I can totally relate to the verse above because starting was the easy part.  Finishing on the other hand, has been quite the challenge.

How many times have you started something but didn’t see it through? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started and stopped trying to lose weight.  So many obstacles are placed in our paths and it takes endurance and patience to finish what we started.  Sometimes we are placed in situations that are beyond our control; a serious illness, trying relationship, loss of a loved one, financial struggles and so on. Dealing with these situations takes every ounce of our stamina. Sometimes these obstacles cause us to shift our focus, justifiably so.

I’ve been a Lifetime Member of Weight Watcher’s since 1997.  Yep, that’s 15 years trying to do the right things at the right times for the right reasons. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve always been at my goal weight. I’ve had my ups and downs, some centered around my life circumstances. And I’ve had my distractions, mainly food. J But I have never, ever, given up.

I must say that being a person who is prone to being overweight can be exhausting and discouraging. It takes so much work and commitment to lose weight and to maintain that loss long term. That’s why, this time around, I have changed my strategy a bit.

As I’ve mentioned before, my strategy this time around is to focus on a lifetime of small changes.  The idea is that small slowly adapted changes are more maintainable in the long term.  The first time I did Weight Watcher’s, I was all about following the program perfectly. And thanks to my perfect prowess, I lost 40 pounds in six months. I was a Weight Watcher’s rock star!

But as the saying goes, “it’s the journey not the destination”, I was focusing on the wrong things. It is my hope that the journey I’ve shared in my blog this past year has helped you to stay focused on what matters most. How are you feeling? How are your clothes fitting?  During your journey have you tried a new food? Started a different fitness routine? Shared a recipe? Met a new friend? Discovered something unexpected about yourself? 

Losing weight is about much more than a number on a scale or your clothing size. It’s the pride and sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing what you started combined with all of the wonderful things you learned and people you met along the way!

Ask for help, make a choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara