Pressing On

In this new year, just about everyone I knows has a new enthusiasm and determination to get back on track and get their weight off.  You have to love New Year's resolutions!  The challenge for most of us when it comes to those resolutions is that all too often we quickly lose our focus.  

In Beth Moore’s “Believing God Day by Day” devotional book, she writes:

The middle of any challenging journey can be the most critical point.  Many of us may not be where we were, but we’re not yet where we want to go.  Perhaps the terrible bondage of Egypt is behind us, but the land of promise seems remote.

The longer we wander in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land, the greater the chance that we’ll return to captivity.  The pull of familiar comforts and habits can feel overpowering, particularly against the uncertainty of Canaan’s unknowns.  But as we persevere, God is faithful to continually give us the extra push of motivation to press on.

Once we've been on plan for a while and lost some weight, and once we've dropped a size or two, the pressing need to lose weight can start to feel a bit, well, less pressing.  We've entered that state in our weight loss journey where the pain of where we were (Egypt) has lessened, but we aren't quite yet to the Promised Land (our goal weight).  That in-between time can be challenging, and it's easy to lose motivation and begin to slip into old habits.  We may begin to think, "I've done really well - look how far I've come.  I deserve a "treat" today."  Or we think, "I'll take a mini break from being on plan and view it as a test to see how I'll do in maintenance."  

I'm here to encourage you to keep pressing on - don't stop now.  Don't take a break - just keep moving forward!

In Dr. Andersen's book, "Dr. A's Habits of Health," he writes about shifting our focus from where we started to looking ahead to where we want to go and what we want to achieve, which is optimal health.  (This book is terrific, and if you haven't ordered it yet, make sure you do.  Everything you could possibly want to know about how to reach and maintain optimal health is there.)  

Over 5-1/2 years since reaching my goal, I am finding the need to continue to focus on moving forward in my own journey towards optimal health (and it is an ongoing journey!).  It's been over 6-1/2 years since I first started on 5&1, so each day takes me a little bit farther away from the pain and misery I experienced at 260 pounds.  It's easy for me to forget how miserable I was, and it's also easy to begin to rationalize unhealthy eating.  I have had to refocus on what I want, which is optimal health for the rest of my life.  Being back on 5&1 to peel off a few pounds I've picked up, getting to the health club for a good workout on a regular basis, whether I feel like it or not, getting adequate rest - all of these things have me moving in the direction I want to go and it feels great!

If you need a little encouragement to stay focused and continue moving forward, I encourage you to sign up for Take Shape for Life's Stop.Challenge.Choose 12-Week Health Transformation, www.stopchallengechoose.com.  This is free and participants will receive a daily morning e-mail for the next 12 weeks from Dr. A with encouragement and suggestions that will help to keep you focused and motivated. 

Regardless of whether you're just getting started, somewhere in the middle of your journey, or, like me, dealing with the challenges of maintaining a healthy weight, the challenge for all of us is the same: to make sure that stay focused on what we want and continue to choose wisely :-).