Weight Loss #10: The Greatest Reward – More Than Losing the Baggage

And the greatest reward after all your hardships is not really something you'd expect. In losing the weight, you've finally gained back your true self.

You’ve got an advantage over those who’ve taken the easy way out, those who’ve had surgery, who’ve gulped down the slimming pills, taken to quick fixes to losing weight. You know the value of hard work. You’ve fought to make those pounds melt away, and you’re not about to take it for granted.

Oftentimes, we hear about people who’ve had liposuction and other surgery done who’ve later gained back all those pounds. This is because their stomach hasn’t adjusted to smaller portion sizes. They may have lost the fat, but they will still feel the same sense of gnawing hunger, the type that seems as if you could never just be satiated enough to stop eating.

And then, there are those stories we’ve heard about people who couldn’t seem to adjust to their slimmer state. These are also people who’ve lost weight too quickly that instead of turning back to food, they find new addictions, just exchanging one for the other.

And then, there are those who eventually become anorexic or bulimic, too afraid of food and gaining back all the weight that they’d rather not touch the stuff at all. These are the ones who’ve relied solely on starving themselves that they were not able to get to know their body to find out its limitations.

And this is your advantage. You have been losing weight gradually. There are no guarantees such as the ones you see on those silly weight loss adverts, but if you know the value of what you’ve worked for, then you’ll treasure it by making sure you’re able to maintain it.

If you’ve gone through this lifestyle change, chances are, you are doing this for the long-term. This means that you have gone through the trouble of getting to know your body and discovering what works for you, and what doesn’t. You won’t need any fancy diet food deliveries, and you certainly won’t rely on just one particular aerobic class because you know that in the end, it could just be as simple as counting your daily calories and walking your dog ‘round and ‘round the block. You will not wake up one day shocked that you have lost weight. You will gradually be slimming down, and all the facets of your life will adjust to it.

With this comes the freedom of finally getting to wear what you want, exuding the confidence to express yourself more and not to hide within yourself, and the ability to move around without the shortness of breath that usually accompanies being overweight. These simple things mean so much, and if you’ve gone without it for such a long time, then you’ll be the first to declare that a rebound is out of the question.

And the highlight of it all? It’s the realization that food isn’t the enemy, neither is society. There are no enemies, actually. It’s just all a balancing act. It is a numbers game, true. It’s also got a science to it – experimenting on how your metabolism will interact with the healthy food you put in your body – and a psychology, as well – facing up to your goals, being honest with yourself, and learning that consistency and optimism will always be key.