The Weight loss Journey

At the start of the year I made a commitment to myself.  I was going to pull myself together and start exercising on a regular basis, and eating better. If you know me, I am the type of person who is more interested in catching up with a friend over coffee.  I don’t drink coffee, but I love to sit and chat to my friends while they drink their coffees. I am happy to catch up with friends with either a hot chocolate or a glass of water.  My group of friends are all changing our behaviour.  We are still catching up for a coffee, but we are getting up early and hitting Labalsa park on a Saturday morning. Its not always easy to get up – but we are!

Labalsa Park is at Pt Cartright.  Its the home of the swear word hill. I detest this hill.  My goal is to run this hill continuously without stopping. While I am still far from accomplishing this goal – it is still the goal!

Over the last few months, I have been getting up early on a week day and heading to Kings beach to go walking. Not everyday, but as many days as I physically can – I get up and go. The goal is to go at least 3 times per week. It is still a forced habit.  I can honestly tell you I have the argument with myself every single morning about whether or not I should turn over and go back to sleep, or get up. Once the alarm goes off – I question myself, and then I get up and get my gear on. It isn’t until this point that I decide to feel good about going.

I think the worst part of the decision is the indecision.  The argument in your mind, or should I say the battle of the wills.  The desire to lie in bed, or to get up and get going. Sure its early when I go, but the early morning sunrise on the beach is just breathtaking. The moment in the morning when your feet hits the beach – you know you have made the right decision.

The thing about the number on the scale is that it is just an indicator.  Losing weight isn’t all about the numbers on the scales.  It’s about your journey to health.  Its about the longevity of the change.  The change is a lifestyle change from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy and active lifestyle.  Its not all about dropping numbers on the scales.  I am taking a holistic approach to my weight loss journey. We all have great weeks and we all have weeks we would rather forget. Life happens while we are making plans!

I have a plan and I need to lose a number of kilograms so that I qualify to go down my desired path.   Its going to take time, but I need to drop a few numbers on the scales.  The number on the scale is an indicator only for my journey.  My change is about being healthy, eating well and committing to an active lifestyle.  This in turn will help me reach my goal. Remember, its all about  ‘health’.  I have to admit that some days I feel like I am pushing an elephant up the hill.  I have a thyroid issue, and I have found that it plays havoc with me in many different ways.  Weightloss can be incredibly difficult when you have a thyroid concern.

At the end of the day, I am the mum, and my role in our household is incredibly influential.  I am the one responsible for setting my kids up to succeed or fail,  I have made the decision  to raise the expectation in our household.   If we are going to be a healthy family – A healthy family eats well and exercises regularly.   We will go and enjoy the outdoors more often.

We are going to enjoy the Sunshine Coast.  This is where we have chosen to live and there are thousands of families who would love to live on the Sunshine Coast.  We live in paradise and many of us take it for granted.    If we stay home, continually do jobs around the house or watch television, we are not enjoying the place that many people spend thousands of dollars to come and visit.  We live in paradise and we need to take advantage of our ability to put our feet in the sand every single day.

Sometimes we need to play like a tourist, and do what the tourists do.

There are beach tracks and the council has put in walkways.  There is a walkway basically right down the coast line.  It seems to me that we (collective ‘we’ here) are taking for granted this gorgeous opportunity – free exercise!  I have tried the gym thing and I have to say that I hated it.  Every time  I would go to the gym I felt like I was cheating on the outdoors.

Recently, I have been thinking about caterpillars.  Stay with me here. I have realised that a caterpillar doesn’t just become a butterfly.  There is a distinct journey to its transformation, and while my goal may not be to be a butterfly, it is to become the person, the wife, and the mother I am supposed to be, and if I am going to do this, I have realised that my health and my happiness are interconnected.   I need to exercise and I need to eat healthily to get to my desired result of a healthy well being.  I have decided to be as holistic as I possibly can with my journey back to health.

The scales help us to know where we are in our journey.    Obviously numbers tell us where we are and how far we have to go to get to our goal weight.   However, the scales do not tell us what kind of person we are, if we have a kind heart, if we are a good wife, or a good mother.   It cannot measure our inner beauty, our sense of humour, our personality, our integrity.  Nor can it measure our happiness or our success, or our capacity for life.  All these things, and our social acceptance are immeasurable.

The scales can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it.   I have decided to not get hung up about numbers.    It is, afterall, about the journey to holistic health.   As long as the number is going in the right direction, my clothes are feeling lighter, my overall being feels happier, then I will feel as though I am making progress.    Its not just about a number. My plan is to take note of the number,  get off the scales, and go live my best life.  The number on the scales is merely a number. If you need to change something in your eating plan to get better results do it, but don’t make a big deal out of it. Keep calm and centred and put one foot after the next.   Weight loss will happen, its just one of those things that needs momentum, continuation and a sense of resolve.  Don’t give up as it is usually at this point that something is about to change for the better. Keep your eyes focused on the prize.  The prize consists of a feeling of overall health, smaller dress sizes, a lifestyle change, more energy, more fun, feeling great, and feeling happy, among other benefits.   Remember to keep it simple.

For those interested in the meal plan, I am following Lisa Curry’s program.   I feel that it fits the life style that I want.  I want easy nutritious, yummy, and affordable meals. I don’t want to count calories or points. The web address for Lisa Curry’s program is www.lisacurry.com.au.

If you too are on a journey to health and happiness, and weight loss is one of your goals, I encourage you to listen to your heart and let it lead you to where you should be heading in your life.   We all have different goals, strengths, challenges and desires.  Just make sure that your doing what you are supposed to be doing for your life and don’t forget to enjoy the journey.

Try to remember the benefits will always out way the negatives.   You may not have time for television any more, but really, is that a bad thing?   xo