I've read posts from Robin and LisaMarie that discuss how fun this is! I've actually been thinking about it a lot, and I'm very interested in hearing additional thoughts on it. And, please, post thoughts on the beginning of the journey as well as the end. I am so looking forward to buying beautiful clothes that flatter my new and gorgeous figure, but I'd also really like to find more enthusiasm in myself for the journey NOW. I feel like I've made a great start, but I'm still wearing the same clothes (albeit, very loosely), and NO ONE - including my husband - has noticed the weight loss. The closest was when I went swimming with my children and my 11-year-old son asked if my swimming suit had always been that long. (It's got an attached skirt, and the skirt started at my hips and is now almost down to my knees as the suit gets looser. The sight of me in it still isn't very pretty, though.)

So, to put it a little morbidly - if I were to die six months from now, before I hit goal, would I regret spending those six months in this struggle?

Here are the reasons I've come up with for enjoying the journey now -

1 - I LOVE the exercise. It makes me feel so much more alive and energized, and I love the time away from all of the demands of my family.

2 - I've learned to insist on things for me. Before, I would eat fattening food that I didn't enjoy rather than insisting on a healthful alternative for me. Now, I am gently insistent that my needs be met as well, both food and otherwise.

3 - I do not miss the heavy, bloated feeling I got from eating too much or too heavily!

I would love to hear other thoughts!

My husband has noticed that I look better, and my DD said today that I look skinnier( that felt great , I got to tell you), but no one else has, I am back where I started last May or June, so I figure I still need to loose another 20 before anyone notices.
Why this journey is great :
I feel more energized, I don't feel embarrased about being out of breath when I walk up a hill( N.C. has lots of them), or stairs.
I also feel less bloated, my feet aren't swollen anymore, and I don't get back pain.
If I would die soon, at least my kids would see that I tried to be healthy and it is possible.
cheryl

Why I think this journey is great...
I also love to exercise--sometimes I struggle w/ getting it in (especially getting to the gym sometimes)...but once I am doing it, I love it! Exercise is 'me' time--I have my favorite music on my mp3 player or a good book and I forget the rest of the world. I love the way I feel when I am eating healthy and exercising regularly--I am also much more productive!

If I had a choice between the journey and going straight to THIN...I would skip the journey....

I don't like this AT ALL....

the only good thing about it is that when I AM thin...I know I will never want to put myself through this again....

My favorite things about the journey:

1. Feeling like I am doing something positive for my life.
2. Having less depression/anxiety
3. The feeling that I'm unleashing my inner gym rat.
4. The positive boost I get every time I make a good choice for my health.
5. Learning how to be a better cook with each healthy meal I make.
6. Sharing healthy habits, ideas, and recipes with others
7. No more icky stomach aches from overeating.

None of these have ANYTHING to do with hitting my goal (which I still haven't done!) and EVERYTHING to do with the journey.

The best thing about this journey to me is just feeling better about myself. I feel in control of my life.

I don't know how to say this gently - but this journey is a life journey. To lose the weight and keep it off, I had to continue my healthy eating/exercise habits.

I reached my goal weight 2 years ago - maintaining my goal weight looks nearly exactly like losing weight did. I still food journal, menu plan, eat 5+ servings of vegetables a day, estimate calories daily, avoid processed food, fast food, soda, cheese (well, because cheese doesn't like me). The only thing that has changed is I allow more calories every day and 1 cheat meal a week.

I was always able to lose weight, I was "thin" at least two other times in my life. I never stayed thin because I wanted to stop dieting. When I started eating "normally" I gained all the weight back and more - every time I lost weight. What I really wanted to do was diet for a short time and then eat normally. I had to come to terms with the fact that my normal made me heavy. I had to change normal. Short term changes did not produce long term results for me.

So, I probably posted too much, what you said really resonated with me. I can only gently suggest to find something you like, it made a huge difference for me.

Back to the main topic, while I was losing weight, I loved feeling my pants slide down my hips (not a Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction) but just that pleasant "too big" feeling.

What Glory said is soooooo important.

I worry when people say they don't enjoy the process of weight loss. I know what you mean, of course. Everyone would prefer being able to eat whatever they want without thinking about. What I've come to terms with this time is that that will never be a reality for me. There's no "end" to this. I won't reach my goal and then forget about counting my calories. That's what I've done in the past (well, except I never made it to goal) and that's why I put every ounce of that weight back on every single time.

When I finally accepted the fact that I have to live a certain way if I want to be healthy and fit (not just thin, but FIT), there are tradeoffs. I have to watch what I eat and I have to exercise a LOT. The good news is...I'm enjoying both of those things. And even when I don't exactly enjoy some aspect of this, I still recognize that it's sooooooo worth it.

So...as Glory said...if you're NOT enjoying this journey, you really have to tweak some things until you find a way to like what you're doing. Otherwise, you won't be able to keep it up, and how can you achieve lasting success if you don't?

That said, I have to add that one of the things I enjoy most about this journey is sharing it with all the great people here at 3FC!

I absolutely agree with what Glory and Lisa said. And I will add that in addition to enjoying the compliments about my appearance as I've lost, one of the things that has been really fantastic to me is discovering my inner athlete. She was truly buried, but deep down, I found a runner in my soul. I can't tell you how amazed I've been that I have gone from someone who could barely jog a block to someone who can actually run a half marathon. All the weight loss/appearance stuff is of course, important too, but this has been a real revelation and joy to me (and Lisa, I know you feel this way too!). It has given me an unbelievable sense that I really can do something when I put my mind to it.

I feel like I'm so needy. You would think that watching so many amazing women do so many amazing things would fill my inspiration quota, but I really feel enriched by the responses I've gotten. This is tough - and I know it will always be tough - but I can't commit myself to lifelong misery, or even a year of misery. Not that the last few months have been miserable, but I've been disappointed that the results are so invisible so far. Of course, I've worked really hard to try to hide my weight, so it's hard to blame people for not noticing something I've never wanted them to notice. Still, I've really been wanting to quit lately. I feel SO much better now! Thank you for your insight.

One day at a time, and as Howie mentioned elsewhere, one brick at a time! This may be enough for the next few weeks! Then, I'll come back for more.

And now, I'm going to go for my nightly walk/jog and search for my inner athlete!

Linda---I really liked your quote.

LaurieDawn---I loved your question, and I'm glad you posted it. I think.......I love the exhilaration of being in control. I love being able to feel like the fat isn't going to defeat me. I love that I'm feeling better and better every day. I love that I'm able to do things I couldn't do back in April. It makes it exciting... every day could possibly bring a new milestone.

That's NOT to say it's easy. And sometimes it's hard with all the temptations around. But every time I'm able to say, "NO! I'm so way more valuable" it feels like a mini victory. Today I was really really wanting to go to Starbucks. I don't know why.... I just was thinking a mocha latte sounded good. Maybe because it was extremely rainy and wet. But I drove past--------------and once I was past--a couple blocks down, I was SO grateful. I didn't need the calories or the expense, truly!

Yahooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

bree
come watch me shrink!

Glory, Lisa, Rachel....

I am certainly not belittling our efforts and what it takes to become healthier....

but Glory...it IS easier to appreciate the journey from where you sit...and I am sure I will feel differently when I am 2 years thin...honestly...do you want to go through it again? the trying to exercise, but being too heavy...not having any clothes that fit, people's rude comments....the aches and pains from carrying too much weight....of course you don't...that's why you still journal and work to maintain your weight .....and when I am 127 pounds I will have to journal and work to maintain as well...but I am just being honest when I say that I would rather be maintaining then working to lose...because this is hard...and it takes up most of my energy....it's almost a full time job...I can deal with that part of it....but I DON"T LIKE BEING FAT...I just don't....

I DO enjoy my new way of cooking.....I AM a cook....it has been my profession...and I feel as though I might add a whole new dimension to a career that was getting a little stale....

but I would still rather be thin ...or at least a little closer to thin....

I don't need to "eat normally"...I just need to stop being in a panic about what I eat...I am not at a point where I have lost enough to feel a sense of accomplishment....I am where alot of other people who have posted are..."what have I done?" why did I gain it all back?" "I am starting all over again..."

Glory...you are THERE! Rachel Lisa...you are practically there.....I am at the starting block...and from where I sit it's a pretty long freakin road...and I am scared...every day that I won't have the control to get through the day...and that 10 years from now I will still be "planning" to lose weight....

so...I am just being honest....I would prefer NOT to be fat.....but I don't have a choice right now...not today.....I only have the choice to begin this journey or not...and I choose to begin....

but I won't lie...not even for the sake of being more positive here on this forum....because lying to myself is how I got into this mess....so I am being honest from now on...

and I like the fact that this forum is here ...with people who are supportive....with people that I can be honest with...

and when I am where YOU are Glory...I will probably be saying similar things to someone else....I surely hope so....

but thank you all...for your perspectives...it's good to see some light at the end of the tunnel...even if (for now) it's YOUR light...it helps....

Im in here, I see your point, certainly about wanting to be in maintenance already.

But I found that the ENTIRE journey to this point of course has been an ESSENTIAL learning experience. I wouldn't begin to know how to work maintenance if I hadn't had to live through the losing aspect. Because it is basically one and the same. Maybe if we're lucky we'll get to add in a few extra calories. Me being only 5 feet tall and being so obese for so long prior to my weightloss, I realistically don't think I will be able to maintain my weightloss on many more calories then it's taken me to LOSE the weight. But that's okay, because no matter how little calories I'll be able to eat come maintenance time (which I'm practicing this week) will still be better then being morbidly obese.

The rewards for you are just around the corner. Hang in there. It really does get enjoyable, despite the fact that it would be fantastic to just wake up one morning and BE thin. I would love to not have to restrict my food intake, and to not have to exercise. But there are not choices here. As we all know it just doesn't work that way. There are no miracles and there are no quick fixes - it's a process.

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. Actually that light starts to shine quite brightly WAY BEFORE the end. I have been reaping the benefits of my weightloss for months and months already and I know that I am not alone in this feeling. I believe many of the others would agree with me, Like LisaMarie, Mrs Quadcrew, Rachel and Tricia to name a few. It's really not necessary to get all the way to gaol to start seeing and enjoying the benefits. It'll happen for you. Keep plugging away - we don't have a choice - AND it's worth it.