Keeping It Real!

Yes, I lost 53 lbs. on a TV show. When you have cameras in your face, an expert with you almost 100% of the time, and weekly weigh-ins that will be shown on National TV, it makes it a little easier to lose weight. Now the hard part has started. There are no weekly weigh-ins, no expert with me all the time (of course I still talk to Dawn daily), and $50,000 is no longer at stake. I wake up in the morning and have to tell myself that today I am going to do good. I am going to eat healthy and go to the gym. I'm not going to go out for cake. I'm not going to eat my daughter's candy. At night when I am watching t.v. I have to try hard to not fall back into old habits. My old habits consist of eating ice cream or butter covered popcorn while watching my favorite show. "My Diet is Better Than Yours" is over, but my journey is not. I still want to lose about 20 more pounds. I still have to work at it every single day. I am not perfect. My eating is not perfect. Luckily for me, I have a new found love for myself that I never had before. I enjoy the way I feel. I like that feeling more than the feeling I would get baking a cake. I do still have to occasionally remind myself of that. I have a few tricks that I use when I want to eat something with sugar or something not so good for me. I keep a before and after picture on my refrigerator. I try on clothes that I couldn't fit into a few months ago. I look at old pictures when I was at my heaviest weight. I read sweet Facebook posts that tell me that I am an inspiration. I also leave notes for myself in the pantry. They say things like, "Summer is Coming", "Think Before You Eat". These notes have kept me from making several bad decisions. It's kind of like having Dawn standing in my pantry giving me those disapproving eyes (like the ones she gave me when I didn't want to give up my clothes). My point to this post, is everyone struggles. Everyone has to find motivation. If you don't do great one day, don't give up. Don't stop. Remember why you started. If you have to put notes around your house or paint your nails to keep you from eating, do it. Stay strong and your hard work will pay off. I've added some pictures of what keeps me motivated!