Weight loss and maintenance is NOT something that is completed and never thought about again. I am a food addict. For that reason I know that I will struggle with maintaining for the rest of my life. Will it be easy? Hopefully I can change my habits and routine enough that my lifestyle fosters a good healthy weight. Do I want to have to track my food for the rest of my life? No....but will I have to? Honestly, I may have to....at least 75% of the time....or even 50% of the time. I don't know.
What I DO know is that tracking my food. Keeping a food journal of my 'good eats' is tantamount to my success. There are so many reasons for me.
*it keeps me honest. We all know that if I don't have to write it then it doesn't really count...right???
*it is a good check to let me know what I'm eating that is good and what is bad
*It keeps me in line
*it is my anchor. I put my food in and it anchors me to this process
Yes, it is my weight loss anchor. Kinda crazy, but It steadies me. It keeps me grounded and focused on what I need to be doing. Without that anchor I tend to drift away. I may still try to drift (those days when my weight watchers point expenditure is way way way over budget)....but the process of accountability to my food journal anchors me and doesn't let me drift far.
So what other anchors do I have?
For me, it's a mental thing. I have visions of myself back at my goal weight. I have visions of myself that happy confident person. That anchors me to this process. Because I know that what I'm doing right now to lose the weight, will help bring that person back. And yes, that person is lost. Will the weight loss solve all of my woes? Absolutely not. I dont' expect the weight loss to do that.....this time. When I originally lost the weight, I expected life to be peachy, rosy and just grand. After all, it was my weight that was holding me back in EVERYTHING. And yes, my weight was holding me back a lot.....but there were bigger issues that I have had to face. I'm facing them. I don't know how they will be resolved...but I'm trying to face them because I know that once again being thin will NOT take them away. Lesson learned.
