From Insanity to Health

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Benjamin Franklin

I have been in a fight with the scale for a couple months now. I had been very successful on Weight Watchers and had lost 30 pounds as of last September. All of a sudden, Life Happened and I lost control of my weight loss efforts and ended up gaining 10 pounds back over the course of several months. Now, here I sit, almost February and the scale hasn't budged since December.

Well, I shouldn't say that it hasn't budged. It has go up two pounds one week and back down two pounds the following. Rinse and repeat.

As the scale has continued not to cooperate, my frustration has continued to rise. WHY?? I have been counting my points, working out and and trying to be more active in my everyday life. Why won't the scale cooperate with me?

I had a breakdown with Husband earlier this week. He calmly reassured me that we know what works and that I just need to be patient.

Patient?!? I have been patient!!!

But have I? I needed to take a step back and REALLY look at the choices that I have been making:

• Skipping workouts (It is COLD outside! It is too EARLY!)
• Eating more candy, chocolate, ice cream, etc. than before (Work has been STRESSFUL!)
• Fudging my points (Ah...that is close enough....)
• Skipping Weight Watchers meetings (I am above my lifetime goal weight. I don't want to PAY to go!)
  
• Obsessing about losing 10 pounds before the end of January (I need to get in my monthly weigh in at WW!)
  

No matter how "good" my excuses/reasons have been, they are not getting me where I want to be.

I have been sacrificing what I really want for what I want right now and that isn't making me happy.

I need to get back to basics and consistently make healthy decisions.

I have been putting pressure on myself to lose 10 pounds before the end of January and it has just ended up backfiring. The motivation behind my decisions has not been one of health, but one of weight loss. The strictly weight loss mindset hasn't worked for me in the past and it isn't working for me now.

Not only does focusing on health instead of weight loss make me a happier person, being happier and healthier results in weight loss as a pleasant side effect.

And doesn't that sound like more fun?

So what now?

Here is my new contract to myself:

• I will choose to workout because it makes me feel happy and strong, not because I will burn 400 calories in 45 minutes.
• I will make good food decisions because they give me energy to sustain my healthy lifestyle.
• I will follow the Simply Filling Weight Watchers plan that encourages real, whole foods and limits processed foods.
• I will treat myself with occasional treats, not routine poor food choices.
• I will go to a Weight Watchers meeting, regardless of what the scale says, because the supportive and encouraging environment has been so helpful in the past.
• I will allow myself time to lose the weight again. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and putting strict deadlines on myself only backfires.

Here's to health....and eventually weight loss!

Are you patient with your healthy efforts?