Friend of Julie: No Contest

This weight loss journey isn't a contest. We are all winners, even though this is not a contest. This journey is about our commitment to drop our excess weight, to reach our desired size, and maintain that size for the rest of lives. How's your commitment working for you?

We made a commitment to ourselves, and with Julie's help (hypnosis) we can stay committed to drop our weight.

My commitment has stayed strong, but sometimes I get in my own way. The mean girl inside me sometimes whines "how come she lost weight faster than me?" Or I discover something I'm doing that isn't according to the program.

I know people who started this program and dropped straight down to their goal size. For others, including me, reaching our goal size is a longer journey. People in both groups indicate they have always been 100% in the river (on program) the whole time. Others indicate they jump in and out of the river all the time and they still reached their goals. I can't speak for the later group and I don't judge them. This is a solo journey and I can only speak of my own truth.

Why it is that some lose weight so much faster than others? Perhaps it's because we don't all hear or remember the same details and because we interpret what Julie teaches us in different ways. Again, I can only speak of my own journey.

As time passes, I refine my program, as I discover things I was doing wrong. These discoveries happen at refreshers or when I talk with others, but sometimes I have my own "ah ha" moments.

My recent "ah ha" was about the meat-veggie-ratio. I recall meals where I had more veggies than meat. I removed coleslaw from my food options a few months ago, because I realized it's a food I eat too much of, especially when I make it at home. I start off with the correct ratio, but then I go back for more coleslaw than meat and throw off the balance.

Yes, coleslaw is a food we're allowed. Yes, I stayed in the river. However, if we eat more veggies than meat we are going to either stop losing or gain weight. I speak of coleslaw, but I overate other veggies as well. I'll bring coleslaw back again, but for now, it's off my plate.

This concept is not complicated: eat equal to or less veggies than meat.

I'm not sure why I didn't take this meat-veggie-ratio more serious every day or when the line became blurry and I ignored this key concept over and over. I'm not even sure when it started or why I allowed myself to tip the balance. Why didn't I catch this and stop sooner? I'm not sure.

What I do know is that now that I've put the meat-veggie-ratio balance back in balance, my weight is coming off again.

I've followed this program for nearly 3 years and along the way I've identified areas where I make mistakes. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why my weight loss is slower than others. I learn from these imperfections and then I move on.

A big part of this program is learning to reprogram our minds. I don't beat myself up when I discover something I'm doing wrong. This program is a lifestyle change and I keep this in mind as I journey forward. Imperfections are part of the human experience. I expand my knowledge of how this program works by listening to my own body. When I feel I'm in a plateau, I look around to see if it's something I'm doing wrong and if it is, I stop it immediately.

As much as my old way of thinking (my inner mean girl) asks "why is she losing weight so much faster than me?" I have to remind myself: this is NOT a competition. There is no finish line. There is no "end" of this journey. Life doesn't work this way. I am on a journey to lose weight and I'm doing my best to stay the course. My best is good enough.

After I reach my goal size I'll learn how to maintain that and then move on once again. Move on to what? Living my life just as I always have. My whole life doesn't change just because my size does. My life is the same, but I'm a whole lot healthier. I'm the same person, just a smaller size. I think the same, except the mean girl is melting away. The mean girl who held me back no longer has a place in my life.

I speak of the mean girl because a lot of us are so critical of ourselves. It's important on this journey to quiet the inner mean voice. If we want to transform our lives, we have to stop listening to the mean girl who tells us we're still fat. The mean girl who looks in the mirror and only sees our flaws. The mean girl has no place in your life either; let her go.

If we are truly committed to losing this weight and maintaining it for the rest of our lives, we cannot afford such negativity in our lives, especially from ourselves. If we cannot look in the mirror and see ourselves as we really are, we're never going to maintain our goal size.

Let go of your mean girl. Let go of anything that is keeping you from reaching your goal size and embrace your commitment to reach your goal.