I had high hopes of being able to announce, today, that I’d finally broken through my low. Alas, no — one pound stands between me and my low weight. That’s not much in the grand scheme of things; much better, in fact, than the position I was in several months back, so I have faith that some future blog very soon will be screaming about finally breaking into new territory.

I’m actually quite thankful to be this close and in this position just a couple weeks after the holidays; I managed to keep them fairly in check. We all know someone — perhaps even you — that hopped on a diet just a couple weeks ago, not only to get those holiday pounds back off, but perhaps achieve more weight loss than that.

Soooooooon.

There are plenty of people that have already given up on their efforts. Go to practically any gym in the country during the week after January 1 and you’ll see how packed they are with new members, hoping to get their lives in order. A month later, these numbers will have dropped off substantially.

When I made the commitment over four years ago to give it another try, I wasn’t enthusiastic about my chances of staying on a longterm diet, but I also knew myself well enough to take steps that would increase my chances of success. They include:

I made progress videos. These are for my eyes only. I recorded them with messages to my future self, so I wouldn’t forget the things I’ve struggled with, so I’d keep hold of the dreams I had at those moments in time. I have not made one in quite some time since I’ve recorded the videos at certain weight loss milestones, but I am very near one, now. Personally, I know how easy it is to convince myself that I’m just fine where I am, but stating the truth of my life on video has been an extremely emotional process that has kept me grounded.

I made myself accountable. That’s why I created this blog, after all. It took some guts to admit to the world — and especially to myself — the state I was in when I took my first steps toward better health. After all, how on earth can you know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you’re starting? Being in denial about my weight and health only got me deeper in a hole I’ve spent years climbing back out of.

I surrounded myself with support. This is one of the most important things I did for my own mental wellbeing. I am not a joiner by nature; I tend to try to do things alone. This is indelibly tied to accountability, though; when I have felt like dropping out of view because things haven’t gone well, friends who care have been there to remind me that this is just a detour in the journey. Whether it’s a kind word or a group sharing of ideas for change, being among like-minded people who care is one of the most generous gifts you can give yourself: don’t be alone.

So here I stand, a pound above my low. I could be frustrated that it didn’t happen; after all, this is far from the first time I’ve come this close to finally setting a new low during the past 8 months of weight loss plateau. Instead, I feel both fortunate to be surrounded by people who support me, even when I stumble, and I know with confidence that I’ll be sharing good news with you, soon.