Reflections from Chicago

We got home last night following a whirlwind, 14-hr. trip to Chicago and back. It was a lot of fun and especially good to be able to spend some time with our 22-yr. old son. He worked 80-85 hours a week all summer and is now back in college and working a part-time job, so we don't see him very much (he lives at home). It was great to have some extended time with my two guys!

What was also great was having the energy I needed to spend several hours walking and standing at the Museum of Science and Industry. I was last there three or four years ago, and I remember how tired I got and how often I looked for a place to sit. Hauling around an extra 130 pounds was hard work! I remember my back, feet and knees hurting, and I remember trying to look like I was having fun and enjoying myself when all I really wanted to do was sit.

This time, walking and standing wasn't an issue, and we walked a LOT! Other than sitting down for a cup of coffee with my husband, I pretty much walked and stood for five hours. I had Medifast bars and pretzels with me, along with water, so I fueled as needed while I enjoyed the exhibits. And I wasn't tired!

Saving my money and calories for dinner was the plan, and I stuck to the plan. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I went on line and checked out the restaurant's menu ahead of time, so I already knew what I was going to order. They had a wonderful HUGE salad which my husband and I split, then I had one serving of the deep dish spinach pizza and my husband, son and I split a dessert. I left the restaurant comfortably full, but not uncomfortably stuffed. Even after walking around the museum for most of the day, after we left the restaurant I wished we'd had time to walk around the Chicago Loop for a while instead of heading home - and I had the energy left to have done it.

Even though I've been at my goal for 16 months, my head is still catching up with the transformation my body has undergone. I still marvel that I have the energy and stamina to do things that would have been almost impossible, or at least very difficult, just three or four years ago. I still marvel that I can now enjoy all kinds of food and enjoy it in moderation - and that I can enjoy it without feeling guilty. Eating the kind of food I enjoyed last night is no longer "cheating" for me, and it no longer threatens to trigger a binge (the "well, as long as I cheated, I may as well REALLY cheat and then get back on my diet tomorrow" kind of binge).

When I got up the morning and weighed myself, I weighed exactly what I did yesterday morning. I am no longer worried that things are going to spin out of control, that eating the "wrong thing" will somehow start the terrible slide back to 260. There is tremendous freedom and joy for me in knowing that my two-plus decades of obesity are finally behind me.

If someone would have told me two years ago, not yet three months into my weight loss journey, that I would feel as good as I do today - both physically and mentally - I wouldn't have believed them. I wouldn't have believed that I could really lose all of the weight I needed to lose, and I couldn't imagine not worrying about my weight, making peace with food, and having so much energy.

Maybe that's where you are right now. Maybe you can't imagine you could ever be at your goal weight, able to do the things you want to do, and free to really enjoy a variety of food and not worry about gaining weight. You don't have to believe that you'll get there, but if you commit to staying on plan, one day at a time, that's exactly where you'll land!

The Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 journey is really a short one, and it's designed to get to your goal - and beyond - as quickly and as safely as possible. Go for it! Fix your eyes straight ahead and get a clear picture in your mind of what you want, then don't let anything stand in your way.