In November 2017 I won a 10-week challenge from The Max Challenge of Manalapan. I went to the center two times before I signed up, asking questions about the nutrition, exercise, and resources available. I decided to have an open mind and go all-in. Here’s what I learned over the last eight months:
The scale doesn’t matter. I didn’t want to see the number on the scale when it was going up, and I didn’t want to see it when it was going down. Other programs focus on pounds lost as the measure of success. I looked at following the nutrition plan, participating in daily exercise, getting enough sleep and acknowledging the work. I know I was doing the best I could, so that meant being at peace with the results, however slow or fast they occurred.
It pays to be kind to yourself. You’re not going to wake up a size 4 with perky breasts, a round ass, and flat abs. You’re the best version of yourself today. Smile in the mirror and focus on the positive. No one else sees you as flawed as you do. Let it go. We are all a work in progress.
You can do it. Don’t have time in your schedule? Can’t do a push up? Hate eating vegetables? You can find a way to do anything if you really want to. Be clear on your priorities and focus on progress, not perfection. Some goals take longer to achieve and some behaviors harder to make habit. Take your time and keep trying. You’ll be stronger, more disciplined, and proficient with each passing day.
Food should taste good. It also should be food. Saying goodbye to all processed food, dairy, wheat, and sugar has been amazing. It’s also easy to see how quickly you can slip back into old habits because those things taste good, but they’re not good for you. Finding things to enjoy within the constraints of the nutrition plan and experimenting with spices and new foods has made it easy to create a lifestyle, not a diet.
Time moves fast. It seems like yesterday I was scarfing down bags of Doritos and searching for stretch pants. The first few weeks felt like work and required intense focus. But then a month passed. And another. Knowing someone would take my photo every ten weeks meant I could free myself from other markers – I just had to get through the day. And in a blink of an eye, eight months have passed.
The before picture, taken in Amelia Island 2017, was shortly after I walked through the Jacksonville Airport and passed a sign that read “a year from now you’ll wish you started today.” I’d seen that saying before and thought it often when I had to go up a size, was disappointed in a picture or just generally felt low. But when I think of how close that year anniversary is in grasp, I’m glad to have started when I did.