I'm just like you. I've tried every freaking diet in the book. I've done the calorie counting and exercise; I've done the not-so-healthy taking supplements and hormones while eating a 500cal diet fads; I've tried Atkins, South Beach, juice fasting, shakes only, green coffee bean, slimfast, slimquick, hydroxycut. I've tried personal trainers, classpass, I've had NUMEROUS unused/underused gym memberships and I've enjoyed varying levels of success in each one. I have no trouble LOSING weight but maintaining and protecting that weight loss is something I REALLY struggle with.
Which brings me to now. Over the winter I did the HMR diet and lost 56lbs. I was so proud of myself. It was really hard work eating meal replacements for 5 months, adding exercise and avoiding "the gap". It was a HUGE time investment and an even bigger FINANCIAL investment. I spent thousands of dollars and I got the results I wanted but I just couldn't keep up with the financial committment and I had to drop before completing the maintenance portion of the program. Here I am back in the same spiral I've been in all of my adult life and in the 68 days since I left the program, I have gained back about 18lbs.
It's tough to transition from the mindset we use in weightloss to the mindset that's required in maintenance. I'm tired of this journey being about depravation. I want it to be this fun thing I did for myself, this goal I worked hard for but that I also enjoyed. I think that's the only way this is ever going to stick.
So I'm not beating myself up over my mistakes anymore. I'm not entering the shame cycle. I'm not going to kill myself over all of this. I'm going to have fun with it this time. I don't know about you but the opportunity to actually WIN money as opposed to spending it seems like fun to me.
So let's do this. Let's have our own backs and each others. Let's forgive whatever we did to get where we are and start having fun with it. Time to show yourself how much fun you really are and start making the most of the days/minutes we have here on earth.
I'm ready! Who's with me?
-Kay