Original_Beauty’s Journey to Health

Original_Beauty’s Journey to Health

FamilyAs you know this has been quite difficult for me. With the past of the eating disorder trying to take control. I have had many slips but never given up. I had anorexia for 10 years, being emaciated, tube fed, detained. Then bulimia for 15 years (nearly 3 years purge free) I have always had a horrible history with food and eating.

I had known for some time something had to change but I felt I lacked the skills to change this. I felt stuck. I felt powerless. I believed I would have to live the rest of my life diet yo-yoing, a miserable thought. I wanted to change because of my two daughters. I did not want them following my bad habits. I knew what I wanted but how to make it happen?

I spent a decade hating myself, starving myself, purging…my life was a complete mess. I’d go 30 days straight without eating and still exercising, then wondering why I was in hospital being tube fed. I wanted freedom, but I never thought I would be free. I felt like a bird trapped in a cage. My life was the same every day. Get up weigh myself, shower, gym for 2-3 hours. Shower. Go home. School. Home, read ways to burn more calories. Bed. That was my life…then there would be days I’d binge and purge from hunger, enemas, and laxatives. But my life changed for the greater good when I was in hospital detained, being tube fed, not being able to leave bed…I had that light bulb moment. From there on I gained a lot of weight, my body was confused and held onto everything I ate.

What made my recovery harder for me was having 3 miscarriages and having a premature son at 24 weeks who lived 6 days. The guilt. The hate. The anger. The depression. Talk about a major relapse.

Then I discovered EM2WL and this is where my story begins…

I have been sitting here for nearly 30 minutes wondering how to start this entry. I think with last year, trying so hard to lose weight and putting in so much effort and getting very little results has made me think. It’s been something I have been trying to put the pieces together for a little while now.

You’d think with tracking your calories for a year (and honestly) keeping to a 1400 calorie diet and going to the gym nearly every day (burning 400-500 calories) I’d have results. After weeks of trying to find information I came across “Eat More to Weigh Less” I was a little hesitant to go there and look but the other part of me was interested.

ChildrenI can starve, I can purge, but for the life of me I cannot get this weight off me healthy. I’m trying to learn, but it is hard!

Spending hours reading, and talking to people it has been a real eye opener. The amounts they eat and with half the exercise I’m doing and losing weight…I was/am jealous!!! Reading their stories, they were all so similar to mine, their history. Looking at the photos, amazed me. I had to admit I was very interested…

As they say if what you are doing isn’t working then something has to change. I’m ready for change.

I knew how many calories I was eating. I had a start. I went to many TDEE calculators to see what numbers it would give me. These numbers blew me away, I couldn’t believe it. It took me days for this to sink in and make some sense. My TDEE was just over 2700!!! For weight loss 2200, my jaw dropped.

I had a random thought last night, before the birth of my youngest daughter, Jasmine, I lost weight easily because I was eating more and not killing myself at the gym. Things were starting to click with me. Maybe this was the missing piece of the puzzle I needed.

I spent the past four weeks bringing my calories from 1400 to 1600 calories. I have had to change my exercise because I am draining myself, giving myself no rest or time to recover.

So I have had to make two massive scary changes.

1) Eat more
2) Less HIIT

So, right now I am working on doing HIIT 3 times a week and eating 2200 calories. No less than 2000 calories a day, no excuses.

I can do this, because I want this. This will be my year.

It has been a real challenge, good and bad, but mostly good. I have been doing a metabolism reset for nearly two months. When I first started I was on average 1400-1500 calories. I was always hungry on that, grumpy because I was hungry, the list goes on. Over the past two months I have been adding to my calories. Normally 100 calories every week, sometimes I’d stay there for two weeks. After all there was no rush, I wanted this to be for life, not just for now.

journey to healthAt this current moment I’m at 2000 calories. I’ve had so many challenges and fears to overcome. The two main ones were:

1) I cannot eat that much. Yes I can. It’s been a process, but I can. It’s actually quite easy. A serving of mixed nuts, there is 200 calories. Not crap food but food that will make me grow strong. If I have too many calories left over I’ll have a banana smoothie, or a small bowl of ice cream. I have added food back into my diet that I thought was too high in calories… nuts, seeds, peanut butter, a glass of milk. Oh my how I love nuts!!! Little things but it all adds up. I always feel so hungry lately, it feels completely weird. I have had to learn how to balance out my food over the day, a little planning goes along way.

2) I will gain too much weight. Oh my how this did my head in… If I was eating 1300-1400 calories and not losing and gaining how could this possibly work?! But I knew in my heart, that something had to change…and now. While doing this I have not gained ANY weight. I was scared I would gain so much weight. Yet I haven’t gained ANY weight. This has really played with my head and done amazing things.

Everything I believed about eating X and no more than X calories for so long, has been so wrong. It has been life changing. I have always been jealous of people who could eat so much and gain nothing… This has been the biggest hurdle for me in my recovery. I’d eat ‘normal’ amounts and gain. Then I’d go back to what I knew worked for me, yet in reality it was only screwing me up more. My goal is to get my calories up to my TDEE (2600/2800 calories) then drop it to 2200/2400 calories. From my understanding once I’ve been at these calories for two months and do a cut I should start to lose weight.

This is not easy for me, while doing this I have had to challenge so many of my core beliefs, it is hard but it has been worth it. I just wish I knew about this much earlier. I’m really enjoying this journey, I’m really enjoying the food. I love this, this is an amazing journey…thank you for sharing it with me.

And So My Journey Begins – Aleana’s Story

And So My Journey Begins – Aleana’s Story

7 months after having my daughter, I was recently separated, back living at home with my mom, and quite honestly feeling horrible about myself. I felt like I had lost my identity in a broken marriage, I had lost my body to my pregnancy, and most of all I had lost my happiness. My daughter deserved more than that. She deserved happiness, she deserved a mother who was proud, confident, healthy, and a good role model. So my journey to a healthier me began…

3 weeks progress

3 weeks progress

I decided to ask for my mother’s help as she is very involved with Eat More 2 Weigh Less, and also a personal trainer. We have our own little home gym complete with everything one could want for strength training, so it could not be any more convenient! I decided to clean up my eating (cutting out soda and most processed foods) and dedicated myself to workouts and lifting. And dedicate myself, I did. I eat clean, but I also don’t starve myself. I am eating approximately 2,100 calories a day, and concentrating on getting lots of protein in every meal. I love that I don’t feel the need to starve my body for quick results, and I love that I am not “on a diet“. I eat what I want, when I want! (Of course, I do everything in moderation and with more thought to what I am putting into my body).

I have seen so many people go on diets, starving themselves, eating salads, and spending hours running or doing cardio only to eventually quit and go back to their old ways, usually gaining back any weight that they have lost. I did not want this to be me, and I knew I didn’t want to ruin my metabolism. I wanted to create healthy eating and exercise habits that I could maintain for life, not just a diet to fall off of. I wanted to be a good role model for my baby girl. After seeing how successful so many of those following the EM2WL philosophy have been, I decided that a life of starvation was not for me! I wanted to start a program that I knew I could continue for life.

Now I start my mornings with amazing workouts that my mom has set up for me, full of lifting and strength training (with my baby girl looking on, hopefully learning by example…). I am in awe of the progress I have made in only three weeks. I’ve got a long way to go, but I am on my way, for me and my daughter. We deserve it!

The Mental Journey – Renee’s Story

The Mental Journey – Renee’s Story

A recurring feature on EM2WL is called “The Journey.”  We strive to stress the importance of staying consistent, trusting the process, and making EM2WL a lifestyle.  In featured “Journey’” stories, we get an inside look at how each person will make the process work for them, as well as demonstrating how this process looks from fresh angles.  Journey participants agree to keeping us updated periodically,  first sharing their story, then updating as their journey progresses… 

TWeight Loss Journeyhe Mental Journey – Renee’s Story

I have just began my journey on EM2WL but I am excited to share this with everyone who is on it, has gone through it, or is struggling. A little bit of background about me: I began my weight loss journey on February 16, 2013. It was one of those days where I woke up and I said to myself, “I don’t want to feel like this anymore!” I can’t explain why this time was so different compared to the other mornings I felt like this, but it was that morning that changed me forever. I joined Weight Watchers and in 2 months I was down 14 pounds.

In April, I made the best decision of my life and spent the money on a personal trainer. He then changed my love for fitness and knowledge about how to work out. I felt on top of the world when I lost 35 more pounds with his training. By March 2014 I was down 50 pounds and feeling on top of the world. I then found MyFitnessPal, quit Weight Watchers (because I was tired of paying for it) and felt that I could continue my journey on my own.

Weight Loss JourneyIt has been since March that I have maintained my weight loss of 50 pounds. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful that I am able to keep the weight off for this amount of time, but I still have some unnecessary weight to lose. I was becoming so frustrated with myself because I could not seem to break from the plateau I was in. I was eating between 1200-1400 calories and nothing was happening. In December 2014 I came across EM2WL. I read everything. Every blog. Every success story. The science made sense. I read more articles about eating more in order to lose weight. Everything was making sense why I was on this plateau that I could not break.

There was about a two month period prior to starting EM2WL that I stopped tracking on MFP because I was getting bored and tired of not seeing any results. I couldn’t tell you how much I was eating so instead of doing a full metabolism reset, I opted to do a 15% cut from my TDEE. Even eating at this amount was mind boggling.

Weight Loss JourneyOne month into EM2WL and I have found the biggest struggle for me: A mental mind game. Every single day. I have been off the scale since my starting date because I know that there will be a weight gain at first. I could not bear to see this on the scale so I chose to go “scale free” until I feel confident that the number means nothing. I read and re-read the EM2WL website, the success stories, and blogs daily for motivation and reassurance that I am going to be just fine. I am an active member on MFP’s EM2WL group. I highly encourage everyone to join it! It is a big help. The people are amazing at helping you understand the process, and give you motivation when you are feeling like you want to quit.

One of the best feelings I have from EM2WL is the energy from eating all this food! I feel great! My workouts feel better, I feel stronger. This is my motivation to continue. Eventually I will get over fear of the scale. Until then, I will stay off for my own sanity. I look forward to updating with great news!

 

Renee

Instagram: nay_gets_fit_

Weight Loss Journey

 

Remember, EM2WL is a lifestyle, not a quick fix.  Featured Journeyers will remind us that we are all a “work-in-progress.”  If you are interested in being featured in The Journey, please contact us for more info.  

The Fastest Way to Lose Weight – Interview with Easybeingfat

The Fastest Way to Lose Weight – Interview with Easybeingfat

I’ve (Kiki) been following Kim (Easybeingfat) on Instagram for a while now and I just love the long haul outlook she has on health and self love while achieving her goal physique.  She knows that seeking out consistency rather than shortcuts, is the fastest way to lose weight.  Thankfully, I was able to snag some time with her and get her to share with the fam her secrets to slow, steady, and sustainable progress.

How long have you been on this journey?IMG_7051

Well, for years I TALKED about losing weight and getting serious about my health. I didn’t get serious until June 2013. My best friend wanted to do p90x and she was adamant about me doing it with her. Of course I was all talk, and lazy, so I said no. I didn’t want to do it. She was persistent though. Being my best friend since 6th grade she knew exactly what to do and say. THANKFULLY, it worked!

I’m always in awe of your consistency (you surely see me tagging clients on your IG pics all day! LOL)  Did you start out intending this to be a “long haul” thing, or did that mindset evolve over time?

Honestly, I started out lost. Uninformed, uneducated, ignorant in my opinion when it came to fitness/weight loss for MYSELF. No real goals but to simply be a certain weight. The scale was my biggest concern in the beginning. It determined ALL my success/progress back then. I honestly had no “plan” to do anything but make the scale say what I THOUGHT would make me feel better about myself. I simply wanted to be 185 pounds. THAT’S IT! As I stated, I was lost. My mindset has certainly EVOLVED! J

IMG_7015How did others around you act about your decision to discard the usual quick fix methods for weight loss?

People were cool. I mean I don’t recall anyone saying anything about it. I have a pretty strong personality, so people really don’t think twice about questioning my choices. At least not to my face. Lol. What I mean by that is people know I won’t be bothered about how THEY feel or what THEY think about how I’m bettering myself. This is my journey to healthy living and I’m going to do what I want.

You motivate followers daily with your hilarious videos and inspirational messages.  How do you manage to stay positive when progress slows or “appears” to be nonexistent?

SLOW PROGRESS IS STILL PROGRESS!! I say things like that to myself all the time. You’d be surprised how much I talk to myself daily to stay motivated. Not just about working out, but about progressing in life PERIOD! Simply being better. HEALTHY LIVING! They (whoever they are lol) say don’t look back, but sometimes thinking about how I USED to be or USED to look keeps me motivated. Knowing that this growth/progress didn’t happen overnight is motivation to keep going. I know what I want is out there to be mine as long as I continue to work hard and believe in myself. That keeps me motivated!

You struggle (openly) with your love of Krispy Kreme, lol! How do you balance the foods you love with the foods that nourish without getting too restrictive?

IMG_7054Did you say Krispy Kreme? Why must you tease me like that? Hahaha. This is by far the toughest thing about this journey for me. EATING! Lord knows I love all the things that aren’t good for you. No, I love to eat A LOT of all the things that aren’t good for you. Lol. That was my problem (portion control and binge eating). I’ve been through so many fad diets/eating plans it’s sickening. That’s why it’s called a journey because you go through so many things to figure out what works for you. I eat the things I like, just not those HUGE portions like I used to. I’ve learned to eat the “bad” things in moderation and try to have moderation in moderation. (that isn’t always the case) Something that works well for me is preparing healthier options that I absolutely love. I can literally eat the same thing every day.  A lot of people start this journey eating things they don’t even like hoping it’ll help them loss weight. (I did this) For me, that was an easy way to start binge eating and that’s exactly what would happen. There goes the plan to lose weight!  I mean why eat brussel sprouts if you don’t even like brussel sprouts? (I used this example because I used to eat them because they were healthier and I didn’t even like them)

Find a healthier option THAT YOU LIKE! I have fallen in love with baked salmon, sweet potatoes, ground turkey, etc. All those things are so much better than the Popeye’s chicken, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut I used to eat on the regular in the past. I honestly never ate the healthier things until I started eating better. I’ve realized that the good stuff is just as satisfying as the bad stuff. On many occasions I find myself in awe at how good something healthy I cooked is. I become so elated about it and I’m like, “Omg! This is so good! It’s healthy too! I’m winning!” lol. Also, since my concern for weight loss is not like it used to be I find it easier to enjoy food. Now that my focus is more so fat loss and changing the way my body looks, I realize some of the things I thought I couldn’t have help me in some departments. For example, I love those non breaded wings from Publix. When I was focused on weight loss I’d eat them on cheat days. Now I use them as protein sources. Of course I’m not eating 10-15 of them as I would on a cheat day, only like 5-8. I know that gives me 40-60 grams of protein. Might be high in fat, but it fits my macros! Simply put, I work hard at staying on my plan to eat better, but I allow myself to splurge every now and then. It works for me.

Your body composition over the past year has been amazing to watch!  Heavy lifting is clearly working for you.  How do you balance that with your other love of running?

IMG_7055I really love lifting weights and I’m enjoying seeing my cardiovascular endurance improve with running. I think they both are very beneficial to me, my progress, and I enjoy them immensely. Being better and getting in shape is pretty much my life, so I plan everything around that. That is my priority now. The love I have for it makes it a priority, it being a priority makes it easy to balance. No fun until workouts are done!

Your most hilarious Instagram posts are when you joke (or not?!) about all the crazy things you’re gonna do when you reach your dream bod (“fine”) status.  I love that while striving for “fine” you are still unafraid to put yourself out there, enjoy life, and love yourself NOW.   Any advice to other ladies who struggle with reaching a balance of wanting to change, while keeping a healthy body image?

They are definitely jokes! I simply put humor in the things most people think but don’t say. Lol. Anyway, I think self-love is the key. No matter your shape or size, if you don’t love yourself it won’t matter how “fine” you get or how fine you are. You can love your body enough to want better for it! I understand what it’s like to feel unpretty and/or unattractive because you don’t look like what’s on the TV or you don’t get the attention like those that do. I battled that for years. It’s a battle you will ALWAYS lose as long as you don’t love yourself. As long as you use society’s definition of beauty as your source. Propaganda. No I do not look like Halle Berry or Gabrielle Union. Does that mean I’m not beautiful? No, because I am beautiful! I don’t have abs, but I’m still sexy! That’s the attitude to have!  Love yourself enough to find YOUR beauty and exude that! In the mean time stop downing yourself and make a change. Not allowing others opinions to bother you plays a huge role in that as well.

IMG_5203Can you describe your typical workout schedule?

My workouts have truly evolved! When I first started this journey I did things like p90x, Insanity, and t25 (home workouts). If it didn’t require weights or weight lifting in those workouts, I didn’t lift weights. I think those workouts were very beneficial for me. Especially p90x. I liked it most because it was more strength based. I enjoyed the push-ups, pull-ups, etc. That’s when I realized I should lift weights. Seriously, lift weights. Not that playing around in the gym like I’d done before. My love for strength training came from p90x. My workout regimen back then was just that. 5 days a week I’d get up, do my Insanity/p90x/T25 workout, and then go to work. These days I only workout 3 days a week. On those 3 days I run and I go to the gym immediately after to lift weights. Two a days! Every now and then I’ll dance for exercise as well! Lol. I’m using an app called couch to 5k to help me with running. It builds your endurance up with brisk walking, jogging, etc. I’m on week 6 now which is mostly running. You start out with a brisk walk for 5 minutes then you are running for 20-30 minutes straight. The prior weeks prepare you for this. As far as my weight lifting goes, I have 2 full body workouts that I alternate between. The workouts were given to me by Mat Arcon (mat_arcon on IG). I was introduced to him via IG and he has helped me so much. He was like my coach. He provided me with the exercises and the workouts. I added a few exercises myself, but I pretty much do the same thing. What’s great about it is every workout, you’re progressing. You’re either doing more reps or more weight. It works for me! He simply gave me the blueprint and I’m building the masterpiece. Lol. He also introduced me to if it fits your macros. IIFYM. I’d never heard of that until he talked about it.

IMG_7049Any parting words of encouragement to those who are new to the “long haul” philosophy, or struggling with the decision of whether or not to lift/fuel properly?

Of course! As random as they come to my brain, here you go. You have to find what works for you. There are a million ways these days to get in shape, lose weight, etc. You will probably try a few of them. Once you figure out what you like and what helps you MOST to reach your goals, STICK WITH THAT. Don’t talk about it, be about it.  Don’t let fear be the basis of your decisions. GO FOR IT! Forget what everybody says about what you are doing. If it works for you, DO THAT! It’s called a journey for a reason. There will be ups and downs. You have to fight for what you want. I’d be lying if I said it would be easy. Its hard work, dedication, determination, etc. Before you do anything physical, work on getting your MIND right. That’s usually what hinders us. You will either make excuses or make it happen. If you choose excuses, stop complaining. Nothing works unless you do! When you are ready to make a change, you will! Just know that if you don’t plan on working hard you’re wasting your time. Don’t be afraid to fall down or fail. Its apart of success! It’s cool to have others that motivate you but you need to find the motivation within yourself. Others motivate you to get up, self-motivation keeps you going! Lastly, love yourself and grow! ;-)

How can the fam hear/see/read more from you?

YouTube: www.Youtube.com/user/easybeingfat

Instagram: Easybeingfat

MyFitnessPal: Kimd8fifty

Email: Easybeingfat@gmail.comIMG_6343

Focusing More on What My Body Can Do: Athena’s Journey

Focusing More on What My Body Can Do: Athena’s Journey

Athena - BeforeHow long have you been on this journey?

I discovered EM2WL in May 2012. It’s been a long journey with both ups and downs, but there is no turning back for me. It took me a while to trust the process and I’m so happy that I stuck in there. Luckily for me, I have a lot of patience, which is key with this lifestyle. Yes, lifestyle. It is not a quick fix or a diet. It’s a way of life. If you like food, like most people do, then you will like EM2WL.

When did you first learn that you needed to eat more to reach your goals?

Well my story is a bit of a lengthy one, but I think it’s one that most people can relate to. I did Weight Watchers to lose weight after both of my pregnancies. After my first pregnancy it worked great. I had lost all the weight and then some. I was also doing a lot of cardio. I was running 5 days a week and doing some light weight lifting.

After my second pregnancy, however, the weight did not come off nearly as fast with Weight Watchers. I also was not able to do my usual 5 days of running because I was diagnosed with pelvic girdle pain. It is something that I deal with to this day. I came within 8 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight but my clothes just didn’t fit the same. I was fatter! My body composition was completely different. All of that cardio and low calorie eating came back to bite me.

A few months later I stumbled across MyfitnessPal and the EM2WL group. I watched Kiki’s and Lucia’s videos about TDEE. I was intrigued to say the least and I decided to jump right in by doing a 3 month reset. I figured if the low calorie/cardio way wasn’t working, then eating more certainly couldn’t hurt.

What was your original response?

My initial response to EM2WL was disbelief. I was shocked. How could I not have known about this? How could someone eat so much food and lose fat? I just could not wrap my head around it.

Athena Before AfterHow did others around you react about your decision to discard the usual low calorie methods for weight loss?

I think there was some hesitation from family members, except my brother. He is a personal trainer and knew exactly what I was doing. Most people didn’t understand, but I knew it was the right thing for me and that’s what matters.

How did your body react to the initial increase in cals?

Well, I gained! I ended up doing 2 resets and gained 25 pounds in a period of about one year. Yes, I know it sounds scary but I came to the realization that I had to gain before I could lose. Most people think they lose weight because they are eating LESS, but we need to realize that you’re losing weight because at one point you ate MORE. I now tell people that I actually gained weight on purpose.

I also noticed that my nails were stronger, my hair wouldn’t fall out as much, and I wasn’t cold all the time. I also saw that even though the number on the scale was either staying the same or going up, that my inches were going down.

Did your family notice or comment on any changes once you upped your calories for a period of time? 

I think it sparked some curiosity in my family members. I am definitely more muscular now than I have ever been my entire life. My husband felt my arms earlier today and was impressed with my progress.

Athena AfterCan you describe your typical workout schedule prior to EM2WL and today?

Prior to EM2WL I was doing an insane amount of cardio. I would run 5 days a week and do light weight lifting. By that I mean lifting no more than 5-10 pound dumbbells. And to be honest, I don’t think I could lift more than that anyway because I wasn’t eating enough.

Today I do cardio maybe once a week. Again, I suffer from pelvic girdle pain and cardio tends to aggravate that, which is actually a good thing because that means that strength training is my primary form of exercise.  It helps with my pelvis. So it’s a win-win!

I lift weights 3 days a week and lift heavy. I’m midway through The New Rules of Lifting for Women and have experienced great results thus far. I am also a huge Cathe fan. I’ve done 1.5 rounds of STS before spraining my wrist this summer.

I really look forward to my workouts because I love seeing my progress. I’m at the point now where I enjoy focusing more on what my body can do versus how much weight I have lost. That stupid number on the scale doesn’t mean anything to me anymore.

In conclusion…

In conclusion, I’d like to thank Kiki, Lucia and the entire EM2WL family for the constant support. I’m so thankful that I have adopted this lifestyle. Not only for myself, but for my daughters too. They know when they see me exercising that I’m doing it so I can be strong, not so I can be skinny.

Let go of the scale, learn to love yourself: Kelly’s update

Let go of the scale, learn to love yourself: Kelly’s update

IMG_8240.JPGFinally letting go feeling free.

I have been around the EM2WL group for two and a half years now. My journey has been a very long road, filled with dozens of ups and downs, frustrations, anger, tears and joy. It has not been an easy road and I have almost walked away from it a few times..

Almost.

But I knew that wasn’t going to help me. I knew the answer to my eventual success at sustaining fat loss was with EM2WL. I just couldn’t understand why my journey has not been a tremendous success as many of the other stories you read on here. I did everything I was supposed to. I did the metabolism reset, I did the 10% cut, I did TDEE breaks, I worked hard at keeping my diary clean but still enjoying myself. I hit the weights hard, I gave up on most of my cardio activities. Yet, the scale wasn’t budging a single pound. My inches didn’t seem to be changing much either. All I seemed to be doing was spinning my heels, getting frustrated and angry at myself and at those who were helping me and not being able to let go. I was told to ditch the scale. I was told to relax, and focus on something else. I was told to trust the process and believe in Myself.

Two long years of not listening. Two years of spinning wheels, self doubt and hatred, two years of crying almost daily about how nothing was happening and how I was still not seeing any sort of losses.

It was exhausting. It was debilitating. It was not how I wanted to spend the rest of my life, constantly angry and upset over not being a size “Average”, not enjoying myself or my family.

So I finally decided to listen. Really listen. And that meant the first thing I did was throw my scale away.

It took about two weeks to get over the urge to jump on the scale every morning and see if anything was happening. I was finally starting to see that my happiness that day was not decided by what a number on the scale said. Another stressor for me was tracking. I had been tracking my food intake for virtually 15 years with Weight Watchers and with MFP. I needed to let it go and try on my own for a while. I didn’t want to stress over numbers anymore. I wanted to enjoy my life and try to find a healthy balance. It was then that I realized what stress had been doing to me.

race1Once I eliminated two major stressors for me, I was starting to see a shift in my head towards this whole process. I was able to finally “trust the process” and really focus on what my end result wanted to be. I wanted fat loss, not a number on a scale. I wanted strength gains in the gym, not to be the gym cardio bunny. I wanted to be able to go out to dinner and not worry about how many calories or fat or carbs was in something. Above all, I was able to start loving myself. I was sleeping again, I was taking time out to do things for myself, I could feel a light in my heart again. Even friends were commenting on how happy I had seemed lately.

I had finally let go.

Its been 5 months since I stepped foot on a scale. I have no idea what my weight is, nor do I care. I track sporadically and this of course is still a huge work in progress, but I feel much more comfortable about my eating now than I did three years ago. I’m still working on calorie increases and keeping my macros in check. I’m not perfect, but I’m still learning.

IMG_8241-0.JPGThis past 5 months has been a huge mental shift. And its one that has finally let me see the big picture and not focus on short term issues. I now know the scale is a hindrance to my success.  I don’t need that in my life anymore. I have learned to accept who I am and not dwell on what I look like. I may not be anywhere near my end goal right now, but I am finally in the right mindset and the (physical) shifts are finally happening! Not everyone can figure this out right from the start. So if this sounds like you, let me be the one to tell you, Stick with it. Let go of the scale, learn to love yourself for YOU and trust the process.

The time is going to pass anyways, you might as well enjoy it rather than hating it.

 

STOP Spinning your wheels and Get OFF the Rollercoaster!

 

 

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