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Where does quality of life meet your weight loss? Are you willing to count and sacrific everything to be that size 6? (random size I picked to make the point) Or would you stay the size 10 (my current size) in exchange for still enjoying some of your most enjoyed treats and not having to measure out your wine?
For me, the quality of life meets weight loss is when I can be comfortable in my clothes & be able to wear clothes I like without feeling self-conscious. While I am very willing to sacrifice quite a bit of food, I am not willing to eat things I don't like just because they're healthy or on some diet plan, and I am not willing to completely give up the things I love either.
Finding the happy medium is my ultimate goal.
I'm currently a size 14. I was a size 16, altho I flat-out refused to buy anything in a size 16, so I just squeezed my big'ol butt into some half-way stretchy-forgiving 14's. Yeah, breathing was optional.
I am aiming for a size 8. I would SO LOVE a size 6!!!! Being a size 6 would make me deliriously happy and everybody who knows me would hate me for my all-smiles-all-the-time happy-go-lucky state of mind! - but if I get to a size 10 & that's as far as I can go? I'd be OK w/that. I wouldn't consider my diet a failure at a size 10. However, a size 12 simply isn't good enough. And remaining a size 14 is completely unacceptable.
I have lost weight so many times in the past, using different diets (South Beach, Metabolic Research, MediFast, portion control, no junk food, etc.) so I KNOW I CAN DO THIS. Maintenance has clearly been the caveat for me. I simply must settle with myself - once I lose the weight, I CANNOT go back to my bad eating habits. I've always eaten healthy (and junk as well!) - but my hang-up seems to always come down to SIMPLY.EATING.TOO.DARN.MUCH.
I just love food! The smell, the taste, the texture, etc. If I wanted a candy bar, dagnabit I'd have one! The
"My, that meatloaf was sure good, think I'll have some more!" attitude has got to stop.
So this time I am intent on eating foods I love and substituting where I can. Low-fat mayo, not a problem. Lite ranch dressing instead of regular? Oh yeah, I can do that. Never having pizza ever again? Problem! But I've learned I don't have to have an entire pizza, or even half of one to enjoy it & be full. Two slices, along with a nice healthy side salad is like baby bear's porridge - Jusssssstttt Right.
And of course, done properly, pizza can be healthy! In fact, I love veggie pizza, so that's another check mark in the "YAY!" column.
My weight loss this go-round is very, very slow. I could probably cut calories some more & lose faster. But I'd rather do it slowly (even tho it's sometimes soooo frustrating!!) than mess it all up & regain what I've lost (& learned) thus far. Can you dig it?