The Ups and Downs of Losing Weight

I posted earlier on my WW blog about the ups and downs of losing weight. I started this weight loss journey in September of 2011. I lost about 20 pounds in 3 months. Then for a lot of different reasons I quit WW for 4 months. In those 4 months I gained back 10 of the 20 pounds I lost which isn't too bad. I've been back to WW for a month and I've lost those 10 pounds again. I was jubilant last week when I weighed 279.6 pounds. I bid the 280's goodbye. Unfortunately I've had a difficult week and I think when I weigh in on Wednesday night I'll be in the 280's again. I probably would have been upset about that if I hadn't read "The Weight Loss Boss" this weekend. In the book Dave Kirchoff talks about how this journey is not a straight line and we will have ups and downs. I needed to know that since my journey has not been a straight line and I am having ups and downs.

It's nice to know that the WW journey is going to have ups and downs and that I'm not expected to be perfect every day. As long as I keep going back to my meetings, keep tracking and keep trying to do the healthier thing I will succeed. I have to want this. It has to be a priority for me. I want to get off the medication I'm on and I want to have less pain. I know that will come with the weight loss. I don't know how long this journey will be or how many tries it will take to make it to goal but I know I will get there. Even when I don't have confidence in myself I have confidence in this plan. I have seen so many people who have followed the WW plan who have lost a lot of weight and that gives me hope. There's nothing that says that I have to get this right the first time or every time, I just have to keep trying. That's all it will take. When I make "mistakes" I just have to turn it around and start over again.

I have to have the courage to show up at my meeting Wednesday regardless of what my weight will be. I know I've done the best I can this week. I will make the 20 lb lost mark at some point. I know it's only 1.2 pounds that I have to lose to get there and I will do it. It just may take me a little longer than I had hoped it would and that's okay. It's not a race. It's a journey. It's about all the steps I take along the way to make this happen. One of those steps is weighing in every week no matter what the scale says. It's not just about the scale.

Today I did have cookies and a cherry coke. Was it the best choice? Not really, but it's done with. I can move forward and do the best I can. It's been an emotional day and I'm glad that I didn't go for the donuts or candy like I thought about doing. Instead I had a few cookies and a coke. Not bad compared to how I used to handle days like today. I am making progress.

So, I know now that there will be ups and downs and that's okay. I want there to be more ups than downs but whatever it takes to make this happen I am willing to do. I know that at some point I will reach my goal of 174 pounds. I know I can lose over 100 pounds to get there. I know I can because others have done it. It's possible. I will succeed.