What happens when your journey gets too hard?

I write posts to pump myself up and my readers who are beginning a weight loss journey. Or simply going through a hard time. I want to do everything possible I can to educate and empower anyone who will take the time to read my crazy thoughts. My mission has always been about "balance" - not the extremes. I write about how to start, provide healthy recipes, exercise tips, and hopefully some motivation for you all...

...but what about during the journey? 

How about elaborating on how hard it gets after months of rigorous fitness training and a strict eating schedule? Often times we read a persons entire story - the sad beginning, how much time it took them, and their triumphant end... but what about the heart of their story? The hard work that goes into it? Reading a persons entire story is enough to motivate someone to jump start their journey; but once the "newness" of the weight loss journey is gone, it is easy to fall back into unhealthy routines and undo all of your hard work. 

I have been on my new weight loss journey for 5 months now. Every single day it is a lot of hard work. It's extremely rewarding and I absolutely love it; but that does not mean that it isn't hard. I realized on Monday that I am entering the faze of "getting tired". I put on a lot of weight in 13 months - I developed and strengthened bad habits, and it is requiring a lot dedication and motivation to get back to where I was. I am down 45 pounds, but I still have at least another 30 to go before I am in a happy, content place. When I think about it like that, it makes me sad and a bit pessimistic, but I know I can do it... if I keep going. 

When I went to the doctor last Friday, I was up a pound. I was not surprised in the least. I was tired. I wanted bad food. I am embarking on this weight loss journey in the midst of so much change around me, and sometimes it gets so overwhelming. However, making excuses as to why I slightly fell off the bandwagon is not going to fix anything. The first bit of advice I could ever offer to anyone who is becoming tired on their weight loss journey is to stop with the excuses. Excuses are for people who aren't strong enough. They are for people who don't want to be better than they are. They are for people who don't dream big enough. There is a quote I heard that really defines how I feel: don't wish for it; work for it.

Even though I felt bad about the scale, I pushed on. The scale defines nothing. But it does make me mad at the fact that for the last 7 days, I have made healthy choices, kicked ass during my workouts, and I am not down a single ounce - in fact I am UP. When I take a step back and analyze my behavior last week, the truth is, I cheated on my diet more than I should have. Not a lot, but more than what a person who is still trying to lose a significant amount of weight should be. I am still working on the "food is not my comfort". I am not perfect, but I can tell you, I am so much better than I ever have been. My personal and family life is a roller coaster right now (my season of change keeps on changing) and by now with that hurt, the old me would have been knee deep in bad food obtaining some false comfort, but not now. 

This past weekend, I made healthier choices and I stayed on my schedule. I pushed through a big hike even when I was tired. I love going out with my friends, having drinks, dinner, and doing fun things, but I do it in the healthiest way possible. I enjoy it that way and that is what I did. Then Monday comes. I start the week with a positive mindset. But by the end of the day, I was exhausted, frustrated, and felt myself just wanting to go home. However, I had a scheduled workout. Sunday was a rest day, and my body was better, but my mind wasn't. An hour before I was to leave work, I made up my mind that I was going home and spend the evening on the couch.

Fifteen minutes before I was about to leave work, I stopped and asked myself "is this really how I want to start my week?". I knew it wasn't. I knew if I went home, I would regret it and probably eat bad. The old me would have. But I am not the old Liz anymore. Thus I gathered every ounce of strength and pushed myself to go to the gym. 

The moment I walked through those familiar doors, I instantly felt energized, rejuvenated, and I had a really, really good workout. I was so strong. My mood instantly improved 100%. I went home, cooked my healthy meatloaf with my healthy potatoes, and a side of healthy asparagus, and clean eating never tasted so damn good. I fought through a bad mindset, I dug deep inside to obtain that tiny bit of hope to push through, and it set the tone for a great week.

I have been pushing through 100% on track the entire week. When you win a battle inside of yourself, no matter how small, it can truly make a huge impact on your life. Because I am working so hard, and I have improved not only body, but my mind, even when I "fall off track", it is only slightly, nothing like I used too. That alone is another battle won. 

By making that small effort on Monday, it changed everything. It proved to me that with just a little belief in myself, I can overcome anything and do anything I want. Every healthy choice you make is a step in the right direction. Never underestimate the power you are exuding when you choose water over soda, vegetables over fries, going to gym even after a hard day - all of it comes together and no healthy choice goes unrecognized in your body and on the scale.

I know how hard this journey can be. I had to start back at square one in November. Understanding the ups and downs and the frustrations of losing weight is essential. One must realize there will be times, especially when you have been working hard for a while, that you will want to give up, but you just have to keep going. No matter how small or slow the pace may be, keep going. Below I listed a picture with some tips that you should keep close to you if you ever find self-doubt trying to make it's way into your mind. It has no business there.