Being Proud of What You've Already Accomplished

     Hello again! It's been a while since I've posted, mainly because I wanted to hit my 20 lb mark before I did... Unfortunately, since I'm a female, problems arose and I stopped progressing for about a week and a half. How frustrating! Today, I've finally passed where I was, but am still .2 lbs away. I'm getting it tomorrow. So, my focus more recently (and for this post) is to be proud of yourself for what you have already accomplished. I've learned this is the best way to push through any trial: be it weight loss or life in general.

     The first thing that I have to point out is that you cannot compare your progress to the progress of others. Some people lose weight faster than others. Sometimes they have a head start. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. I say this because my mom has also started to try to lose weight, and she's getting frustrated because she hasn't lost as much as I have. This is not good logic for a few reasons:

1. I had a head start of about 10 lbs before she started.

2. I have more to lose than she does, and when you have less to lose, it tends to come off more slowly.

3. I've been working out 6 days a week for at least an hour, while she is rendered unable due to disabilities caused by a car accident years ago.

4. She hasn't been quite as strict about her diet as I have, and what/how much/how late you eat makes a huge difference.

Okay, so now that I have got that said....

     As I have probably mentioned before, my biggest downfall in my efforts to try to lose weight before is that I focused on what I still hadn't accomplished rather than looking to see how far I had come. This is one of the greatest things I have learned on this journey. You know how people say, "At the end of each day, think of at least 5-10 things you are grateful for, and you'll be a happier person"? This is basically the same thing. Remember how much you have accomplished and how much more you are capable of than you were before. Think of how much weight you have already lost, if you are working on losing weight, or even how many inches. There is always something to look back on. If you have been working hard every day but haven't seen any progress, you can still be proud of your commitment and dedication! You are awesome! Keep it up! It is really hard to keep working when you haven't seen success; props to you if you keep trying anyway. Not a lot of people can/will stick with it in that situation.

     So... In honor of this post, I am documenting my accomplishments. Here they are:
1. I have lost 19.8 lbs. I may not be at 20 yet, but I'm pretty dang close!

2. I have also lost 50.5 inches of fat. :D
3. At the beginning, 1.5 mi/hr used to be the fastest I could walk. 2.5 mi/hr was more than stretching it. Now, 2.8 mi/hr is my cool down. I made a new personal record this morning and walked 3.5 miles in one hour, with an average speed of 3.2 mi/hr! How awesome is that?!?

4. I have kept up a goal of working out 6 days a week for at least an hour a day. Not a lot of people are willing to do that.

5. I have been able to consistently watch what I eat, and not break my own rules. I have a lot more self control.

6. I am so much healthier than I was before. And you know what? It feels great. And when you feel good, you look good.

7. Technically, this isn't an accomplishment, but I'm going to list it anyway. I have amazing, wonderful people around me and a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who love me, encourage me, and push for my success. The support is the best part.

With that, I'll say "adieu!" until next time. Keep working at your goals! You can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it!