After a 4 day early Christmas celebration this past weekend, I have no new loss to report, but I remain dedicated to getting that niggling 1.4 pounds off before the end of the year — one week to go!
Every holiday meal ever.
This will be my third holiday season on this journey, so I thought I’d take a look back to see what I was dealing with one and two years ago. Truly, stressing over 1.4 pounds is nothing, in comparison. And I admit I’m stressing over it, which I also know does no good. I have not been as strong as I planned on being this season; I planned on having that weight off already, and I’m struggling with forgiving myself for taking a small food holiday. I truly wish I’d waited until after losing the 1.4 pounds, but timing didn’t work out that way.
This time last year (December, 2014), I wanted to meet a 60-pound goal by the end of the year, and 100 pounds down… by my Cozumel vacation in June. I didn’t meet either of those goals, but I did finish the year at 58.4 pounds down, but backslid during the holidays and allowed a gain of 17 pounds. That was a bit of a mountain to climb, right at the beginning of the year.
Considering that my total weight loss for 2014 was about 30 pounds, I’ve done exceptionally well this year — having lost over 40 pounds since 2014’s low, much of that in the second half of the year.
In 2013, I was dealing with a bit of pain, since I had stomach issues related to NSAID use and had to drop off of them for a bit; since I have severe arthritis, that meant chronic pain, which can be quite depressing. I was near the beginning of my journey and in pain, anyway, from the weight I was carrying, but seeing some improvements. By the end of the year, I was down just under 32 pounds — better than 2014’s total.
Both years, I faced temptation during the holidays; I face that this year, as well. I imagine I will every year. We’ve done some things, though, that minimize the damage, including things like planning for holiday meal desserts by buying single servings, and limiting what’s in the house. We ate out a lot this past weekend, and I started each meal, assuming I’d be taking half of my meal with me in a to-go box. (Portions at some restaurants are outrageously large.)
To put things in perspective, I have seen my greatest improvements this year, particularly in the past few months. My eyes have been focused on that 100-pound mark, and it’s a worthy goal; if I were mountain climbing, I’d be just a few steps away. Sometimes, though, it pays to turn around and look at where I’ve been; a reminder of just how far I’ve come, and how much my life has changed in the previous two years.
This is the biggest gift I can continue to give myself, and it’s my wish that next year, and this time, I’ll be even further up that mountain, and grinning over having met that 100-pound goal, and surpassing it by a good margin.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!