Spiritual Belly

I have almost 100 pounds to lose. Well, actually it's about 90 pounds now. Yay for water weight! This is going to be a long journey. It's already been a long journey. It's taken me 10 years to put on 100 pounds. Prior to that, at one point I lost 60 pounds. It didn't last and I gained it all back amd then some. I've been on and off plans for a number of years now, watching my weight rise and fall. So, what's different this time? They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Am I insane in pursing this goal to lose 100 pounds? I think the key thing is in the words, "doing the same thing." We are never the same person when we do something twice. We have a different, longer history and hopefully are more knowledgeable the second (or third, fourth, fifth...) time around. I've seen what works in the short term. Now it's time to think about the long term. Meal Replacements When I lost 60 pound...

Listening to people that have lost large amounts of weight, the majority say the first step is a mindset shift. You have to essentially find your why - the reasons why you want to lose weight. This is done by first looking at the pain of being overweight and then the benefits of losing weight. The goal is to proactively imagine what it would be like to carry less weight. The Pain For me, there are a number of things I feel in carrying around an extra 100 pounds. I get tired easier and have less energy. I have trouble with sleep apnea, which leads to poor sleep. I have a harder time getting up from chairs. I have a harder time leaning forward to put on my shoes. My belt digs into my stomach. I have a hard time tucking in my shirt. It's challenging to walk up a flight of stairs. I look older and less fit. I don't enjoy movement as much. It's uncomfortable sitting in an airline seat. I'm not role-modeling good health to my boys. I'm telling myself that I don't valu...

So I weighed myself this morning and have hit the highest number I've ever been. I won't say the exact number, but let'sjust say I'm getting uncomfortably close to 300 pounds. My immediate reactions was, "Oh crap. That's not good." And, objectively speaking, that's true. It's not good. Not good for my physical health. Not good for my mental health. And not good for my spiritual health. I've done a lot of different diets and followed various plans. I'll get a month in and drop 20 pounds, only to eventually fall off the plan and put the weight back on in another month. I'm sure you've heard the saying before - make a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. I 100% agree with this, though I'm still figuring out what I want that lifestyle to look like. I've been working with a personal trainer for around 9 months. During that time, my weight has fluctuated around a 10 pound number. I told my trainer that I want to lose weight, but I...