Be Encouraged!

Every day it is so nice to be encouraged.  Often it is others who encourage us with a kind action or a word of praise.  Sometimes though it can be an article that we read that offers encouragement.  I have been on a weight loss journey for a couple of months now, making an effort to get healthy if nothing else.  Today I hopped on the scales and alas I have not lost anything, what a disappointment, lots of effort with little or no result according to the scales that I weighed on.  Gosh what’s the point is the first thought that goes through my mind.  Why even bother.  It makes me realise that I was doing this to see a result in the scales and that let me down.  However if I could focus on doing this for me and for feeling better then I haven’t let myself down.  I have got up in the morning and made an effort.  Eventually it must all add up.

Anyway feeling this way I opened up my inbox and read an encouraging email that someone had written on a post elsewhere.  So back on track I will remain.

I have to keep telling myself that. It’s not. A diet is something you do for a short period of time in order to get a result that doesn’t last and you end up worse off than before. No, no…this is not a diet.

It is a way of life. A life change. Something different. I think we are often too hard on ourselves. I think we get disappointed in ourselves. We get frustrated because after a lot of hard work, the scale doesn’t move, or the inches don’t come off.

So we go to what we know best. Food. Then more guilt, more frustration, more disappointment.

But I’ve come to realize something. If this isn’t a diet…and it is a way of life, then it’s ok. It’s ok to have a bad week on the scale, because it’s not the end of the world. Next week will come…and then the next. If this is about life change, then I must look at this as a marathon and not a sprint.

I didn’t get fat overnight. No, I got fat after years and years of neglect and overeating, lack of excersising, being tired and a miriad of other excuses. Therefore I can’t expect to lose this weight over night. And I won’t lose it next week and I won’t lose it next month.

But I will lose it. Why?? Because I’m not on a DIET!!. I’m changing my life. I’m changing my lifestyle. I know that while I may have a bad week on the scale or even a bad month….that NEXT YEAR, I will not be the same person I was. I will be healthier. I dont’ know what that means on the scale, but I don’t think it matters either. If this is my way of life, then I will be healthier. I know it.

So if I mess up and have a donut or a piece of cake or a slice of pizza now and then, it’s ok. I’m not going to drown myself in guilt, nor am I going to drown myself in food. I’m just going to enjoy life. That might mean eating great for a month and then eating not so great for a day or two. But I’m going to enjoy life knowing that I’m making decisions that will make me a happier, healthier person in the future.

I’m not going to look in the mirror and get disappointed that I don’t look the way I want to now. It will come. But it will take a while. And you know…that’s ok. I’m changing. When the changes come and are visible…then great, but it’s ok if I don’t see them yet.

I just know that everyday I’m going to make better decisions.

Life is about learning from mistakes and growing and maturing in them. That is the journey I am on now. I’m finally learning from my bad decisions that got me to where I am now. I’m growing and maturing.

And THAT is the reason I know that I will make it through this journey a better, healthier, happier person than when I started.

Remember…THIS IS NOT A DIET! This is a life change. A new way to live your life. Enjoy it.