One day away from my final weigh-in, sitting exactly at my goal for this bet! Today's the hubby's birthday so I'm a tad concerned that the piece of cake awaiting me might tip the scales the wrong way tomorrow...but even if that does happen, even if I made it so close and don't win this bet, I've still won this month. Ten pounds I've done away with over the past four weeks! That is no small accomplishment. I've learned so much this month! The important lessons I'm taking away from this round are:
- Remember to keep trying.
I wasn't on my A-game every day this month. I had Popeye's for dinner...twice. I had desserts when they were offered. I opted for chocolate-covered frozen bananas when I felt like having ice cream (so healthy, right?), which was almost every weekend (maybe less healthy), and I most definitely snuck handfuls of chocolate chips whilst making the bananas (health FAIL). And still here I am, 10 pounds lighter after a month peppered with these slips.
I realized that over this past year, I stopped trying. Just gave up and gave in and altogether stopped giving one care. It used to be that I'd cycle through different modifications to my diet, or excercising, thinking that I was failing at each attempt to be healthier. But I stopped all that, and now I realize the most important part was that at least I had been trying. Since I stopped trying, my arthritis has gotten worse, likely helped by the extra weight I put on, my cholesterol is high for the first time ever, and I am in the worst shape of my life. I feel like I went downhill fast, and I think it's because I just stopped trying.
I started trying again when I joined this dietbet.
I'm going to have crap meals, and I'm going to slip up and eat candy when I get weak. But as long as I keep picking myself up, dusting myself off, and trudging forward, I'll still be headed in the right direction and that's what matters. - Healthy food can be incredibly delicious!
This isn't a new revelation for me. I love all food equally. I've been eating incredibly healthy meals for years...I also just like to snack on crap. But this round I tried a bunch of new recipes and it reminded me that there are so many meal and snack options that are delicious AND healthy. And if I love the healthy stuff as much as the junk, why wouldn't I choose to eat that option every time? - I am definitely positively absolutely worth it.
I think I truly only came to this realization a few weeks ago. It's only when I realized this truth that I could clearly see how I have been treating myself like I'm not worth it at all. Of course I am worth it! I am worth all of the hard work and effort and struggle and pain and joy and comfort and confidence and love! I'm worth it all! I deserve to be healthier and to live my life the best way I can.
Three key lessons I'll take with me as I move on to my next bet. I can't wait to see what I'll have achieved a month from now!