Am I There Yet?

I think you have some good insights here. Not only do we need to work on our physical health, but we also need to work on our emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health–because really we are more than what we look like and what we eat. I personally think working on the physical part is easy; working on the other parts of my life is more difficult. Once we look a certain way, we still have to deal with the inner voices in our head that drag us down–or at least I do.

Yeah, we’re twins. Seriously. I had these EXACT same thoughts as of late. I’m working on always seeing myself as a “work in progress” and never giving up. Though I secretly want to smack the “naturally skinny” girls I see, who “never work out. he he” {ugh} BUT I also think, I work out and I FEEL strong, I feel healthy and I feel alive and full of engery. Just because I’m not naturally skinny and can eat crap doesn’t mean a dang thing, but those “naturally skinny” people, yeah it catches up to them, one way or another… and i’ll still be pressing on, working out, eating healthy and feeling like a rock star! Then I smile and do another mile on the treadmill

oh miss Annabel this post hit home in so many ways for me.

as i progressed in my weight loss journey i focused solely on the numbers — once i reach “x” pounds and wear a size “x” i’ll be happy.. so, i reached those goals – and you know what? i was never satisfied. I always convinced myself that i could do MORE .. and through this i became obsessed with reaching these numbers and completely lost sight of whats most important — living a healthy lifestyle. I found that once I reached my goals I wasn’t content with myself or my life — so, because of this i convinced myself that i just needed to keep losing weight to be happy. Wrong-o. Just the opposite happened actually, the more weight i lost the more unhappy i became as i grew to develop extremely unhealthy eating behaviors (thus enter my ED). What i’ve learned is that healthy lifestyle isn’t about being at a particular weight — especially if we feel as though it is a hassle to maintain that weight — healthy living is about moderation and adopting eating habits that come naturally to us and we don’t feel as though they are a challenge to maintain. I’ve learned that if we live lives devoted to balance and moderation between food and exercise than our bodies will be the weight that they need to be. Healthy living shouldn’t seem like a chore, right?

woo, talk about a ramble — sorry for blowing up your comments, girl.. my bad!

<3 hang in there, love! xo

Oh Miss Gina… We are all a perennial work in progress. I know exactly what you mean by “are we there yet?” When I was a little girl, I used to think, “If I were just skinny like that girl, all my problems would go away.” I’ve come a ways from that thinking, but yet sometimes… I’m still that little girl.

Isn’t it too bad that we can’t have the compassion and understanding for ourselves that we eternally find for the people around us?

Look what you’ve done and how far you’ve come. All these things, the highs and lows, they are tools to add to your toolbox, to draw on when you have those bouts of overeating. (I have them too.) What’s important is that each time, you get back up and you try, try again.

You are fabulous right now exactly as you are, and guess what? You’re not done yet. There is only more fabulous to be had. Congrats on that.

Yeah, it would be nice to be able to say, “right, that is accomplished, now onto the next project”, wouldn’t it? I suppose it IS something you will have to continue to monitor and act upon. Hopefully, you will find a balance in your life with time, maybe when your brain has caught up with your new body, loL!

I think the fact that you accept & know these things is good. You can work with that! Like you, I have always been a work in progress… even now being in better shape than when I was 25 years younger & body fat lower too, I always seem to look in the mirror & see things that need to be fixed AND the older I get, the more that happens because you can only do so much & certain areas with age just don’t tighten like they used too. I want to be able to look in the mirror & say OK, that is fine but even now, not there. After all these years I have plenty to work on mind wise!

Nope, I am not gonna slap you.. I think it is great what you have accomplished BUT I have found that especially right after we lose weight, we still see or think like that heavier person. You are doing awesome both with your weight loss journey & your thought process!

I think we are always a work in progress. I have changed my workouts, activities & food program way too many times to count over the years. We have to keep listening & changing things to accommodate how our body & life changes with time. I think that is the key for long term lifestyle living along with CONSISTENCY & finding food & exercise programs that work for you!

i think that everyone goes through this at some point. the key to this whole journey is to keep your mind straight. the eating and exercising will follow if you can do that. unfortunately its much easier said than done. I have found that instead of looking ahead so much, you have to look at the “right now” If you think about just getting what you need to get done one day at a time, it is much less daunting then realizing you will be doing this the rest of your life. When i find myself thinking that way, i re-focus myself on just today. What are my goals for today and what will I accomplish. That has helped me so much and hopefully it will help you too!

no answers…just know I am exactly where you are. Not sympathy but empathy.

Okay….here’ the deal. I’ve been active my entire life (50 years old and counting) in some way, shape or form. Was a skinny kid with a lot of energy and no rest in my bones. Ate whatever I wanted and never put on an ounce. My mother used to say I ate like a bird. Then as I matured, I got a “figure” and thought…what the hell is this all about??!! I don’t like this ass…I can carry trays on it! I was obsessed with getting rid of it. Then I went through the crazed behavior of “I’m going to starve myself and go to the gym twice a day” …. which I did. I defintely lost weight but I also lost muscle tone and the minute I went back to eating normally….back came the weight. At that point in time I was 115 pounds and wasn’t happy with that (my regular weight is around 135). What I have learned as I’ve gotten older is that is isn’t about the “number on the scale” and that five extra pounds that I’ve been wanting to get rid of for the past ten years is not that important and I’m not going to let it consume me. Exercise is a part of my regular routine…just like taking a shower and brushing my teeth. I have a clean bill of health, have great bones, have no plaque in my arteries, and I feel GREAT! I still get up every morning and go to the gym at 4:30 a.m. but I do it for ME…because it makes ME feel good, it relieves stress for ME and I control that–no one else. Don’t care what others think….don’t plan to compete with the person on the cover of the lastest Shape Magazine…just want to feel good! Yes, it is always a work in progress, but at the end of the day, moderation is key and you only live once ladies. You might have heard that saying “do you think those ladies on the Titanic would have opted for the Hot Fudge Sundae if they had known what was coming”? Doesn’t mean you gourge yourself with crap…but eat well…live well!

You are all fabulous, glorious, beautiful and smart! Just keep taking care of you…the rest falls into place.

I think it’s only natural to have these feelings when you near a certain goal… But I also know that you will listen to what your mind and body are telling you and work through it all! You go, girl!

I wanna be there too! I’m close to completely happy – I’m just not there yet. I’m thankful to have been able to take the journey of losing 115 lbs and have learned a lot on the way. At 265, I would have given anything to just get a fresh start – a healthy body at around the weight I am now. After 2.5 years of working my ass off (literally), I don’t think I would have done it any other way.

I also think it would be easier if I knew where *there* was. My goal is 135-140 right now, but I’ve promised myself I’ll keep at this until I’m really done losing weight. I’m good at maintaining – I can’t wait to get there and step on the scale content to see the same number over and over every day (well, in the acceptable range) and instead of “grrr, why won’t you go down”, I’ll think “we’re good!”

Oh man, this is hitting close to home like you wouldn’t believe. I’m about 15 lbs of my goal weight but today someone asked me why I so desperately want to get there and what will change in my life if/once I get there, and I really don’t know. I don’t know why it’s important; I think/hope I’ll be happier in my own skin but I don’t know for sure, because the truth is I still have food issues and clear body issues and I don’t know if these will go away if/once I get to my goal weight. So as I try to come up with reasons as to why this “journey to my goal weight” is worth it (still struggling) I am shifting focus towards resolving my other issues to ensure that if/when I reach my goal weight, I am truly happy. Good luck my dear. It’s not easy. The one beauty about reaching your goal weight is that you can maintain your weight with exercising less so hopefully the crazy school schedule will not completely throw you off track. Oh and remember, you ARE GORGEOUS! Don’t forget this!!!!!!!!!