First of all, I have internet! Dodgy internet, it's true, but I should be able to get back on a schedule of some sort. Cross your fingers.
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Once you've lost pounds that can be measured with double digits, you begin to feel better. Your pants are fitting more loosely, you have more energy, modified eating habits. You may even see some physical slendering in your face, or count one less chin. It's a wonderful feeling.
Unfortunately, with this comes the fact that your body must modify to this lifestyle change. Now, I choose to see this as a good thing, but it's also a little frightening. You begin to feel sick after meals you would have been fine eating just a month or so back. You eat more often and feel sick -- again -- when you don't. Your chemical composition is beginning to change. Now, it may be more or less extreme depending on the person, but this is the point where we all realize one thing: the cord has been cut.
There's no going back now.
Suddenly you begin to long for the old days when you could eat half a tub of ice cream without breaking a sweat (though one seldom sweats when eating frozen goods) and you feel an odd sense of nostalgia that says "I guess this is it; I never will be that person again." Aaaand... if we're thinking logically, the natural response is "hell yeah!"
Unfortunately, even when the change is positive, it's natural to be terrified of going out of our comfort zone. And if food is a comfort... suddenly this positive life change feels more like putting your baby blanket through the shredder.
This, my friends, is not the easy part of losing weight. (Actually, I really can't think of an easy part, but if you come up with something, let me know.) "The Change" is the part where most of us go "holy crap! I've let go of the life-preserver!" So we cling back on to what's comfortable rather than swimming in the big, bad ocean where we could get swallowed up in the evils of experience and new adventures.
This is the time where we need extra motivation to let go and embrace the change with enthusiasm instead of shying away in fear.
So let go. And in the words of Dory in Finding Nemo: "just keep swimming, swimming, just keep swimming..."
...I couldn't help myself.
(12 lbs and counting.)
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Congratulations on the return of internet and the loss of 12 lbs! =)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm excited. Yet to hit a plateau, but I know it's coming... just not yet. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd as a random note, please excuse the foul-mouthed inundation on the Twitter feed sidebar. This is not me, it seems to be an error in the system. If it isn't fixed promptly, I'll be sure and remove the feed altogether. Sorry for the oddness!
You're so awesome, and you're writing is brilliant. You totally nailed it on the head. There is a point you reach where you're afraid to let go of the comfort of eating. It's unsettling! I just had that feeling with my canola oil brownies! Like - I love brownies and I would have normally eating three, but the fact that I can't have them as much and the fact that I'd be wasting precious points on brownies that are sub-par was a sad experience because I actually had this whole thought process. Normally, I would have plowed on without a care. My post a couple posts back was evidence of this. You're maturity kind of makes me look like a 16 year old begging for a car but I feel you!!!
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to add that there is an easy part. For me it's trying new foods. I have eaten so many things that I would have never eaten because of weight watchers. Polenta, spaghetti squash, different fishes, kale, wheat berries, gardenburgers and swiss chard to name a few. Being a foodie on a diet isn't a bad thing. You really open yourself up to things you never tried before! For me, that's easy and pleasant :)