Why Are You Doing This?

Staying on plan and working to get to a health weight isn't always easy, and it sure isn't always fun.  The weekend is here and for many of you who are on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, that means that you aren't doing some of the things on weekends that you did before.  For me, weekends were all about getting caught up on household chores, relaxing, and eating (plus church on Sunday, of course!).  We usually got together with friends over the weekend and food was always the centerpiece of the gathering.  Once I started on 5&1, the household chores, relaxation and Sunday church didn't change, but my weekend eating habits sure did. 

Because weekends are such a challenge for many, it's really important to know why you're doing this to begin with.  Is reaching goal a vague concept, or have you taken the time to detail what goal will mean to you?

One of my friends lost 68 pounds on this program and is doing great in maintenance (she is now a runner!).  When she started on 5&1 she made a list of the reasons why she was doing this.  She e-mailed me her list:


Here's my list for wanting to lose weight:

• Cute clothes
• Looking in the mirror and liking what I see.
• Bras and underwear that fit.
• Bathing suits.
• Vacation pictures.
• NOT wearing control top pantyhose.
• Comparing favorably to others in the office/at the mall/in the grocery store/my friends.
• Feeling good about myself.
• Thinking good things about myself.
• Self Control.
• Having a flat(er) stomach and butt.
• Throwing away my fat clothes and buying new, smaller ones.
• Running!
• Energy!
• Living longer.
• Going out in public and feeling GREAT.
• Getting dressed easily.
• Looking sleek in clothing.  Not lumpy.
• Feeling sexy.
• Shopping on the other side of the store.
• Standing in from of people singing, and feeling great about how I look.
• Treating my body like the amazing gift it is - not a trash can.
• No back, leg, foot pain.
• Not worrying about what my family thinks about me because I am fat.

She keeps this list in her planner so she can look at it on a daily basis.  Reviewing her list of "whys" not only helped her stay focused while she was losing weight, but it continues to remind her of what she wants so that she will continue to make the choices necessary to maintain her healthy weight.

We got together with her and her husband last night for dinner (her husband lost 93 pounds as well) and the four of us spent some time talking about the difference losing weight has made in our lives.  (Between their weight loss and ours [my 126 pounds and my husband's 50 pounds], the four of us lost a total of 337 pounds!)  Remembering where we were and continuing to stay focused on what we want is helping us stay at a healthy weight.  It's not always easy, but as we compared our lives before and after our weight loss, it was clear that none of us would ever go back.

Do you know why you're doing this?  Make a list of all of the reasons why you want to reach your goal and look at it on a daily basis as a reminder of what you REALLY want.  Keeping what you want in front of you will help, especially on the weekends.

Know what you want, then choose wisely :-)