Reaching for Goals

For years and years I've struggled with trying to lose weight.  I always start with good intentions and start strong and then get tired of trying and not seeing results as fast as I think I should.  I realized not too long ago that I always set myself up for failure from the beginning of every weight loss intention.  I would tell myself, I'm going to perfect every single day and exercise hard every single day, but when those sweet cravings came along, and when I didn't feel like exercising, I would beat myself up and stop trying, and then all the weight that I lost would be right back on.

So when I joined Weight Watchers in February, I had those same intentions, to be perfect with my eating and exercising every single day, but something switched in my head this time, and it was during one of the weekly meetings that I feel like I finally "got it".  The leader had passed out a sheet of paper with mantras on them and one of those in particular stuck out so strong with me that day, that I knew for certain that this was going to be the time that I would finally reach the goal that I have longed for for so long.  This was THE mantra, now MY mantra:

"If your driving down the road and get a flat tire, do you get out of your car and slash the other three?  No, you fix it and get back on the road"

So, simple but so true,  We are not expected to be perfect in this life, no matter what we are aiming for, we all stumble and fall, but yet we get back up and try again.  I can't tell you how many times I have faltered, but have remembered my mantra, to get back on the road, and I have this time.  The weight loss hasn't been as fast as I would like, and I've realized that it may take me another year to finally reach my goal, but once I reach that goal, I know that it will be my goal to keep the weight off.

When I reached my 10% goal I got a gold key ring, and when I reached my 25 pounds lost I got a little 25 pound weight that I've attached to my key ring.  This is a constant reminder of the goals that I continue to have.  As of today I've reached 30 pounds lost.  Most of my clothes aren't fitting anymore.  I've cleaned out my closet and given my bigger clothes to D.I.  I don't have a lot of clothes to wear, but I'm more than happy to find my clothes way too baggy than way too tight.  Wal-Mart is my source of clothes for the time being, until I reach my final goal, and then I'll be shopping for a new wardrobe in the regular size clothes section of a department store.