Don't Lose Yourself in the Numbers

By Mandy

Yesterday I took out time to make a game plan. I was scared while doing so. This isn't my first attempt at weight loss, and the self defeating voice in the back of my brain is whispering to me that it won't be my last. This time I want to make sure that I learn from my past mistakes with weight loss, and that I do something different. I'll be following a custom diet plan, based on my previous attempts at weight loss and what I know has worked for me. Exercise, at least three times a week. Keep track of what I eat. Lower my carb intake and work on portion control. But within reason.

I say within reason, because when you're looking to lose weight...significant amounts of weight I should say...it's about changing your habits and your lifestyle. So whatever you decide to do for your weightloss plan...should be something you can envision yourself doing for the rest of your life. Quick fixes and temporary changes...will bite you in the ass as soon as you start to feel comfortable. Last year I attempted to lose weight, and successfully dropped 40 pounds. I was going to the gym every night, I was writing down all the nutritional information for everything I ate, I was weighing myself way too often. I lost myself in the numbers, and after a while it became too much and I cracked under the pressure. One day I got on the scale and found I'd gained a pound instead of losing the two I'd been hoping for. I consoled myself with food and it all went downhill from there.

The body is a complicated thing. There is no A+B=C equation to ensure that you'll lose what you want when you want. While seeing a smaller number on the scale can be motivational, we need to remember to take these numbers with a grain of salt. Sometimes muscle may tweak your numbers, or water weight, or some bodily function that is completely beyond your control. Make sure you ask yourself these questions. Did I have a healthy relationship with food today? Did I meet my daily goals? Did I say no to a temptation? Find your success in lots of different places, that way if you don't quite meet your goal in one area, pride in another area can keep you from feeling despairing.

I've decided that I am going to give myself lots of little goals. So my first weight loss checkpoint is as follows. I would like to lose between 30 and 40 pounds by July. I will keep a food journal, but only write down the serving size of food that I ate, not the whole nutritional database. I will weight myself bi-weekly. I will end every day by thinking about my daily successes, no matter how small they might be. Most importantly...I will not lose myself in the numbers...because I am more than that. So are you.