After five months...

Ahh so month five.... This was the hardest month of all. I felt the repercussions of my choices during months 3 and 4. I hit my first plateau and I hit it hard. I am lucky because I had lost enough weight already to keep me committed to the goal. It is hard to stick with it when you are working hard and eating right and not seeing the results. But just when you want to give up and eat a piece of cake or a big bowl of pasta, as yourself this- Will this in any way help me reach my goal? No is the ONLY honest answer you can allow yourself. Remember when I said that dieting is not easy and that dieting is not fun? This is when that is more true than ever! If it was easy EVERYONE would be skinny! So show yourself that things have changed and stick to the plan!

At the end of month 5 I was down a total of 53lbs. This means I lost less than 4lbs in the whole month! For that matter.... I fluctuated up and down within those 4lbs all month and it was frustrating, but I was still headed in the right direction!



Challenges of this month:
Sticking with it- The further you get into your diet the harder it is to keep dieting. Not because it is not working, but because it is not fun. (Hey I told you I was going to tell you the truth!) But do not let that put you off or scare you. Not everything in life will be fun, but things can still be rewarding! If you are like me you might hit a plateau around this time.... just know that if you stay the course you will break through that glass ceiling and it will be EVEN MORE rewarding than you could have imagined!! (See month 6 for proof)
Water- So, I know that I mentioned I was drinking alot of water previously, but this is about the time when I stopped enjoying it. I average at least 2 Liters of water a day and I knew at some point I would get tired of it and boy did I ever!!!! One day it was like I was drinking sewage instead of water. Can you see the face you are making at that thought??? Just imagine thinking it while ACTUALLY drinking water! Yuck is right! I have no idea what changed, but one day I could barely choke down a glass of water, let alone several liters! I am personally convinced that this is is why I only lost 3.5lbs this month. Remember that your body cannot function at its optimal level without being hydrated. Also remember that by the time you are thirsty your body is already dehydrated. So get that pitcher out and DRINK AWAY people!!!!
I got engaged! WOOT WOOT!!!!- (OK, now that I got that out...)Now, you might not get engaged while you are dieting, but SOMETHING will come up. That is how life is.... Ups and Downs all the time! Those ups and downs can lead us "fluffy" people to stuff our faces. Because lets be honest.... you don't get fat if you hate eating! Our weight issues are intrinsically linked to our emotions, whether they are good or bad makes no difference. So however you justify it, "Lets celebrate! Lets go to dinner!" "I am so sad, I need some ice cream!" "I am so stressed at work, I need some beers and wings": STOP! I know the temptation, I lived the temptation, I SURVIVED the temptation! You can too! Just remember... you have to choose your hard.... Would you rather be fat or losing weight? It really is that simple....