It’s Different This Time
There has come a time each and every time that I’ve been on a weight loss journey (and trust me, I’ve done this quite a few times) when I get the dreaded burn out.
I get tired of working out. I get tired of eating right. I just don’t want to have to worry about it anymore.
Except that I have to worry about it.
I admit, I have been struggling lately with the “I just don’t want to have to worry about it.” I knew this was going to happen, and I feel lucky that it took two years this time before it hit. Before, I would get to this point and say, the hell with this, I’m just going to take a week off. Then a week would turn into two, which would turn into a month, which would turn into gaining a lot of weight back. This last time, it lead me to over 200 lbs.
Gaining just a few pounds at a time, I had the mentality of, it’s just a few pounds. I can lose that any time. I’ll start next week. And then I never would.
There’s nothing wrong with needing a break from things every now and then. We all need breaks. But let’s think about this. Whether it’s work, school, our regular lives, or whatever we take a break from, we always, always come back. And usually the break isn’t for very long. So, why then, do we take extra long breaks from our bodies never to return for months or even years? Why do we put ourselves and our bodies dead last in the marathon known as life?
For me, it was because maintaining this lifestyle was hard. I get so very tired of hard. I didn’t feel better when I was on a weight loss break, but it was so much easier to use those excuses and to be in denial that I had a weight problem. Except that it wasn’t really easier.
I’m educated enough now that I know that in order to maintain my loss, I have to exercise and eat healthy. There is no way out of it. But that hasn’t stopped the burn out. So, I’ve taken a break.
The difference is that THIS time, I’ve been smart enough to more or less maintain my loss. (Okay, okay, if you want to get technical about things, I am up a tiny bit, but it really has been a story of “I’m up this week, I’m down next week” so I’m calling that a maintain. Don’t judge, mkay? Thanks!)
The difference is that THIS time, I’m still working out. Not the all crazy-like 5-6 days a week for an hour a day, but enough to keep me from gaining a bunch of my weight back.
The difference is that THIS time, I’m smart enough to know that when the scales says I’m up a few, I know I immediately that I need to work on getting those few pounds off. There is no, I’ll do it next week.
The difference is that THIS time, I have all of you.
I’ve finally learned that this is really a lifestyle now. It isn’t a short term thing that I can do for a while and then stop. I remember what it was like to weigh over 200 pounds. I remember how bad I felt. I know what poor health I was in. And I know, I never want to feel that way again. I never want to be in that poor of health again. And because I know all of these things now, because I’m educated on what I need to do, I know I’ll never feel that way again. I have finally put myself and my body first.
So, if you’re on a break or feeling frustrated at your own journey, know that it’s okay! Don’t get down. Just start over. Don’t wait until next week. Put you and your body first. And remember, we’re all in this together.
