Congratulations - what an amazing birthday gift you've given yourself!!! I totally understand the impatience thing - I started losing weight January 2011 (a few months before a milestone birthday in April) and I did amazing for months. Then we had some vacations, I had some business trips, the holidays hit, etc. - in other words - LIFE happened (hah!) and I got thrown off my regular routine. I was stuck at 160 FOR MONTHS, since November 2011! I've only, in the last month or so, been able to start losing again.
The key for me is that I realized - life will continue rolling on. Holidays spring up. Birthday parties with cake happen. Amazing vacations with amazing food take place. Business trips pop up. I had to work those into my routine, rather than viewing them as reasons for panic attacks!
I had to accept that maintaining was a victory, too, even when I had 15 pounds to lose.
I had to be proud of myself, and congratulate myself, for every victory - no matter how small. Lost .6 pounds? Congratulations to me! Only gained 2 lbs on my 1 week business trip? Yay me! Was successful at turning down that 2nd piece of birthday cake? Woohoo!
Keep plugging away and be patient and kind to yourself.
Maintaining is the ultimate goal, so when you have weeks where you don't lose, still pat yourself on the back! If you gain a couple, view it as an opportunity to learn why/how.
You are doing an AMAZING job - I'm in awe of you!! Seriously, there is no better gift you can give yourself - just think of where you were a year ago. When I think of myself at my highest weight, it makes me feel like crying, I was so depressed, on medications, avoided leaving my house as much as possible, was in so much physical pain (and avoided going to the doctor at all cost), etc. Everything in my life,
everything, has improved as I've lost weight. So when I get impatient and think, "OMG! I want to be at goal already!" I just imagine me 2 years ago and it makes me feel so much better about where I am today!
Birthday weigh-in: 108 lbs down
