Plateaus.

This is often the point where discouragement sets in.  When I’ve been following the plan, logging everything, weighing and measuring every morsel that goes into my mouth, and exercising on a regular basis. Yet, I hop on the scale and there is stays….right on that same number…for days and days and days.

Plateaus.
Ugh.
Need I say more?!

I often allow moments like these to crush my spirit. I hear myself say, “See? You can’t do this. No matter how hard you try, it just doesn’t work.” Although my brain wanted to take me down that road, my heart stepped in and fought back, “Don’t go there! It’s okay. Your body is readjusting right now – working something out on the inside that you cannot see – and you’re standing firm. You keep your focus.”

This has been the benefit to looking deeper into my triggers, reactions, behaviors and habits. I read something the other day and kind of blew my mind.

“What causes you to slip is learned. It is a habit.
The way you react to slips is also a habit.”

I had to read that several times to let it sink in. I have actually taught myself how to react to all sorts of situations. The way I react is a habit. I always think of it all as food-related habits…but this is referring to a mind habit.

I have taught myself how to slip…by the words I say to myself and how I react to those words. In the past, I have allowed plateaus to take me down that slippery slope of discouragement, which leads me back to not working as hard as I have been.

Plateaus. They are a painful moment of waiting.

To regain my focus, I decided to sit down and look over the past month of tracking my food and exercise (this is a key benefit to writing it all down). Here’s what I found:

• According to My Fitness Pal, I have consistently logged every meal for thirty-two days.
• I have gone from drinking half a bottle of water a day, to easily drinking sixty-four ounces each day.
• I have gone from hardly eating any vegetables, to including them in my lunch and dinner every day.
• I have gone from a high carbohydrate diet to a high protein diet, reducing my carb intake by seventy percent.
• I have gone from walking a little over a mile a couple of times a week, to walking two-plus miles almost every single day.
• I have successfully lost twelve pounds since my doctor’s appointment on April 2nd, where I found myself at my very highest weight.
• I have successfully stayed the same or lost after the past three weekends! That alone reminds me that I am doing well and on the right track.
• My blood pressure readings have gone from 185/100 to 130/75. Wow!!

There’s also the things I can feel:

• Bloating and puffiness is greatly reduced.
• More energy out of bed because I’m sleeping better.
• Waking up hungry, because I quit skipping breakfast.
• Clothes that are beginning to feel loose on me. 🙂

So even though the scale is sitting still right now, I can clearly see my success.

This plateau…while it wanted to beat me down this morning, I’m fighting back and regaining my focus. This is going to take continued work and I’m not going to let that unmovable number undo my efforts.

Thanks for reading and walking this journey with me. I hope and pray you find encouragement here to stay your own course. You’re worth it.

Simply,
Cindy