Ups and Downs

I've seen so many people, electrified with initial weight loss success, beam with joy,"I've lost 3 lbs. in the first two weeks, so I'll reach my goal weight in 8 months!" Sorry, but no.

Johnny, tell 'em what they've won...

My journey from 281 to 179 (at the time of this post) has been filled with MANY peaks and MANY valleys. See chart 1.

Like many who embark on a serious lifestyle change, I experienced great initial success and results. Unfortunately, these successes gave way to reality as I settled in for the long haul and accepted the realities of this profound shift in my life. I have had many plateaus, the worst of which lasted almost a year and a half as I hovered around 220 lbs. Fortunately, I managed to maintain enough control over my eating habits to not gain an appreciable amount back.

Let me make it clear that such plateaus didn't come from failures in my program, but in periods of low morale and motivation. If I could pass on one piece of advice, it is to remember that LOSING WEIGHT IS HARD WORK. This is especially true when you have lots and lots of weight to lose.

So how did I do it? Simple...I never quit. It never entered my mind. I learned to ride out the plateaus and not gain weight back, and to keep my composure even when my motivation was lacking. Sure I had a few spikes on my journey, but on the whole, I've been incredibly successful. And the triumph is that even several years later, I'm still doing it. I'm still winning.