Guest post from Fighting the Fat - Finding the Right Mix...self talk

This guest post comes from my very good friend Mandie, who blogs over at Fighting the Fat.  Mandie and I grew up together - we were best friends in high school and she is the only friend who I've managed to consistently keep in touch with all these years since leaving the USA.  

Me and Mandie on graduation day, 1994

Mandie has lost an amazing 75+ pounds and is such an inspiration to me!  Her post proves that it takes a lot of hard work and determination every single day not only to lose weight - but to keep it off for good...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After losing 75+lbs and still not being at goal you would think one would have the determination and motivation to bust butt and finish the race.  Yeah, me too.  Unfortunately that has not been the case for me and my weightloss journey with 30’ish more pounds to go.  

At my heaviest weight - 233 lbs

Honestly, I still struggle every day, even after losing the weight 7 years ago.  It becomes an everyday battle of making the right/healthy choice.  To make myself workout, when all your workout buddies have fizzled out and you go alone.  It’s depressing when you regain weight you thought was gone forever…and you don’t even know how it happened.  A few missed workouts leads to a week.  A few bad meals or drinks turn into more and more every day.  Then before you know it you’re struggling to eat right and make yourself workout.

Yes my friends, I struggle EVERY DAY.  I wish I could say that it was easy.  And, at times it IS easy.  But once you let yourself slide back, it’s brutal to get back into the groove with the right habits..  This is me right now.  Since the start of 2012 I have regained about 14lbs.  I’m at an unhappy place/weight.  I miss workouts, when I used to go EVERY day.  I let the weekends get the best of me with my eating, and most times they flow over to the next week.  But then when I get on the scale every Thursday, I hate it.  I remember a time when I consistently went to the gym and eating the right things was easy.  I wrack my brain trying to figure how did I get here, and how do I get back? 

Well, for starters, I have to accept that I am not perfect, and cannot be.  That’s the first thing with everything.  I have to let go of the past, of the history associated with my ups and downs.  I have to just tackle it.  Take a deep breath and KNOW I can do it.  Believe in it….believe in me!!!!

And this…this is my reminder I must look at every day, it will help me remember....

I SEE PROGRESS WHEN….

I have a weekly menu and abundance of healthy foods in the fridge

Workout at lunch

Run and other cardio (running makes my legs shapely!)

Do Strength Training 3 times/week

Log my food intake

CHUG WATER

OTHERWISE I WILL…..

Eat crap, sometimes even waste money on eating out

Eat in the lounge at lunch (work “break room) with co-workers and never feel satisfied/full with what I bring to eat

Stop running for months and skip workouts

Have to go back to square one to tone my flabby gut, butt and arms

Think in my mind I’m doing okay…when in fact I snack here and there and am not honest with myself (fail!)

Don’t drink anything…get dehydrated and feel hungry!

This all leads to me not seeing any progress and feel discouraged, unhappy and depressed with myself.  Physically feel cruddy too!

But I must remember, I’m human.  I’m going to slip up.  The inner cupcake loving fat girl will try to resurface.  And she may even do it for a little while, maybe even for 6 months.  But deep down I know I’m happier the other way and that I will do everything in my power to get back to the right place.  I will find that right mix and move forward….again.  The main goal is to never go back to that unhappy 233lb woman.  Yeah, I never will be her again.