When I finished the Advocare 24 Day Challenge in April I was at 194 lbs. It was the lowest recorded weight of my adult life and I felt great! GREAT!
What I didn’t think about then and didn’t consider until now is that even though this felt great….
…. I’m still the before picture.
For a lot of people I’m currently still the before picture. I’m at a weight that would still get me on the Biggest Loser. I’m still at an obese BMI. I still need to lose weight.
After the challenge I let things slide for a while. There were a ton of weddings, birthdays, parties, and travel since I finished the challenge. Eating and exercise habits weren’t perfect but I didn’t mind because I just felt so good already! I felt accomplished and healthy after the challenge so I didn’t keep striving for anything. I gained a few pounds back and didn’t keep the awesome progress going.
It didn’t click until yesterday that I think I’m the before still. 195-200 range might feel good since I used to weight 255, but it isn’t an end goal. I need to lose at least another 30 pounds. I need to lose 35 if I even want to be an “overweight” BMI.
I’ve lost weight and kept it off and that’s great, but I’m still not the “After” picture I want or need to be.
This all came out of a body image discussion from yesterday. I won’t go into details, but after tears were shed and I slowly but grudgingly admitted that I’m not where I want to be yet.
I’ve been thinking about it for a couple weeks now. If I feel so much better now than I used to, would that feeling triple if I lose more weight? Would I feel better than I ever have? What else am I missing out on by not pushing a bit further?
Also yesterday my boyfriend mentioned he wanted to lose more weight. He suggested we both try eating lower carb since his best friend at work is doing a low carb diet and my roommate is as well. It would make a lot of since to join in since we often eat meals with these people. I agreed because I knew eating low carb makes me feel a lot better overall, as seen in the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge.
I’d like to track my food for a while as well. I never do well tracking on somewhere like My Fitness Pal for some reason, but I can take pictures and evaluate a day of food that way. I might blog or Instagram this to keep myself accountable (suggestions welcome). Or maybe just keep it on my phone. All I know is that if I’m still “The Before” then I need to pay better attention to what I’m eating.
That’s it for me today. Just a reminder to myself that I’m not done. There is some work to be done.
Hey Mary, why don’t you look into the app Two Grand? I’ve found it to be a great help in being healthier. You take pictures of your food. No calorie counting! You can follow people and see what they eat (for inspiration!).
I’ve lost five pounds since I started! It just makes you think more about what you eat. If you like, you can follow me if you decide to get it – I’m Starfighter_Pilot :)
Hey Penny! That actually sounds awesome. Never heard of it but excited to try it out. Thanks! :)
Ahh- YES! I am right there with you and I’m also a still before, no matter how far I have come, I still have a long way to go which is why I joined Weight Watchers last week. Best of luck to you, you can totally do this!
Good luck to you too! I hope Weight Watchers works well for you!
at 46 I read this ad think THATS OK.
Life is a process
a marathon not a sprint
and it’s never really over or the after until we are no longer here.
Thank you for this!
Awwww hugs! You have come a long way and are doing amazing! To be honest there never truly is an “after”. After pictures are a snapshot of where the person is at that very moment. An after picture is the end of a particular phase of a journey. As much as we would like to freeze at that after moment, we can’t. Through time your goals and focus changes, and accepting that your goals will periodically change will help you feel happy and content. I wish you all the best in this next phase, I lokk forward to following along!
PS – Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier this week :)