Surround yourself with positive energy...

About 6 months ago, I came to a point where I was comfortable moving into a "maintenance" phase. During this time I continued to eat clean, but did not count calories or work out nearly as intensely as I did when I was in the "losing" phase. At some point early in my journey, I realized that I really disliked "diets" and to be successful, I was going to have to make a lifestyle change... something I was comfortable committing to for the long haul. And, the good news is that  during my maintenance phase, I was successful in making good choices, never once felt deprived and did not gain any weight. In fact, I lost three pounds! For me, this meant I had really been successful in making the lifestyle change I set out to achieve. However, I have decided to lose another 20 pounds and plan to have it off by March 1. I started counting calories in/out and changed my workout routine substantially 12 days ago. I am happy to report that as of this morning (I only weigh once a week – on Friday mornings) I am down 8.6#'s... the body is so amazing!

Because I haven’t been in the habit of weighing in, I wrote myself a little reminder. My sweet husband left a little note of his own on my note… I am so thankful for his kindness & support.  He has never once balked at changing our lifestyle. I am fortunate that he supports it fully and has chosen to eat clean, exercise and make healthy lifestyle choices as well. As a result, he looks fantastic, is off the blood pressure medicine he was on, plus he feels 20 years younger himself. I just love this guy to pieces...

If you choose to start a weight loss journey of your own, think about where your support will come from. I learned from my experience that I needed more support and encouragement than I would have ever imagined. This is a hard road to travel, but in the end, that is part of what makes it so great. What surprised me the most (by far) was that the people who I thought would support me and be my biggest cheerleaders fell by the wayside, and in some cases were down right nasty. As my body began to change, the way people treated me changed too. I was very hurt and at times confused. But, what I learned was that their reaction was about THEM and NOT ME. I had to let go of some people in my life and a lot of my relationships with people changed. Keep this in mind, because more than likely, you may face something like this yourself. Be prepared to make changes and tough choices. Cut the negativity from your life - it is like cancer. Surround yourself with positive people. And, most importantly, if you don't already love yourself, learn too. You are worth it.