The scale stopped moving. The measurements have stayed the same. My clothes are no longer fitting differently. I have achieved two sizes smaller than my original goal. And I have reached my goal weight.
So now what?
I need to maintain it! This is where the struggle is real. When losing weight, you have all of these reminders that you're doing something right. The scale is going down, your clothes fit differently, the measurements are changing. But what about when you're in maintenance mode? Where are all of those simple, automatic rewards?
The rewards are there in our everyday lives. I get excited to get dressed every morning. Shopping no longer depresses me. Sometimes I go shopping, when I'm feeling a little down, just to try on clothes with no intention of buying them. I go into the dressing room, try on the dresses, feel amazing in them, and put them back on their rack, and my day is made. If I like it too much to put back on the rack, I buy it, and those are my little rewards.
My little reward...
Another way I reward myself for working hard and staying on track with diet and exercise. I do the things that I would have never been able to do before I got fit. I never imagined that I would be able to ride a dirt bike at the age of 30. When at the age of 20 I was over 200 pounds and had a newborn baby. By the time I was 23 I had my second baby and weighed 230 pounds. It's amazing to know the difference between then and now. I do active things for fun. My family, especially my kids, benefit from all of my hard work as well. This is yet another reward!
Maintaining isn't always easy though. I struggle a lot sometimes to just go to the basement and get my 30 minute workout in. But I have these groups, support groups that I run, that help keep me accountable. There are people in there that keep me going because they are working on their fitness journey as well. They rely on me and I rely on them just as much in order to stay accountable on eating well and exercising everyday. I love these groups because they are rewarding as well. (Message me if you think you would want to join one!)
When I started this journey my mom asked me, "What are you going to do when you hit your goal?". I told her I plan on just staying on track and going forever. I don't want to gain his weight back. It's a lifestyle change not a diet. Exercise is something that is supposed to be incorporated in your life every day, all the time, not just whenever you feel that you need to lose weight. Being fit is a choice. I choose it for life. Even if it's a struggle, I choose to be fit, healthy, and happy!
