Year One, Week Thirty-Five: Sprint vs. Marathon

I stepped on the scale this morning and wasn't happy.

The numbers weren't ideal. In fact, they were downright disappointing. I sighed heavily, sat on my bed, and wondered if I just wasn't cut out to be thin. I couldn't get past a particular spot, and I truly felt like giving up.

That's the fear talking.

Fear of plateauing again for another 6-8 months. Fear that I'll always be fat. Fear that I'll never have enough self-control to maintain a decent weight, even if I did break this plateau. 

The harder I try, the harder it is to stick to my guns and push through. 

Photo by RUN 4 FFWPU

Last week I was sick. Now I'm just tired. I know this sounds like I'm giving up, but I'm not. No one likes to be held to the consequences of their actions, and my body is letting me know I haven't done what I'd promised I'd do. And dealing with your body is like dealing with a computer; you can't argue your way to weight loss, just like you can't yell at a computer to make it work properly.

I'm eating my own words, and they taste incredibly bitter. There's no one else to blame but me.

However, no one else can fix it but me either.

I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't a sprint- it's a marathon. It wouldn't be a smooth downward slope if my IF journey were charted. It would look more like the stock market!

Weight fluctuates, especially after a binge. I haven't been doing the low-carb days like I should, and I certainly haven't eased up on some of the snacks I should be avoiding. And because I wasn't feeling well, I barely walked. So is it any wonder why the numbers aren't favorable?

Sometimes you just need to give yourself a break when you screw up, put on the big-girl panties, and move forward. So that's what I'm doing after I've had a good cry- because it's still incredibly frustrating to be me right now- and that's okay, as long as I don't dwell in the frustration.

It really is all about mindset, folks. Part of me is still in sprint mode (fast weight loss, aka dieting) and is ready to be done with IFing. I've been sprinting in a marathon, and I'm burning myself out before I'm halfway finished the race- no wonder I'm tired!

What helps the most is keeping myself accountable via this blog and the support I get from my online IFers. If I didn't have those to lean on, I'd have never gotten this far. 

If you find yourself sprinting during your marathon, take heart- you can always set a new pace and catch your breath!