Struggles. Pains. Stalls.

Struggles. Pains. Stalls.

This journey has provided no shortage of the above. I have had days I’ve struggled to stay on track, pain in my hips and joints from a rapid weight loss and exercising more than I ever have, and the most frustrating has to be the stalls.

Struggles

I am no where near perfect and taking on this new lifestyle has reminded me of that. Some days I slip up. I drink energy drinks or eat a piece of chocolate. But I DO NOT beat myself up over it. I refuse to never let myself “indulge” in the little enjoyments of life. I just know now I can not over indulge. Moderation is key.

I have made the choice not to eat pasta/bread. This is my personal choice. I get asked frequently if this was instructed by my doctors; this was not. This was a choice I made on my own because I know that carbs are a major down fall for me! I would love to still eat spaghetti, pasta salad, pizza or a Joeys Bilby. . 😍 however, I know that if I did I would feel like complete and total crap after AND it would be the start of something I probably wouldn’t stop. To me, that’s not worth it. For myself I’ve made the decision that bread and pasta is not worth falling back into old habits.

Instead I do make and eat substitutes. Chicken crust pizza, cauliflower pizza, zucchini noodles, burgers with no bun, pasta salad with no pasta. 😂 There are ways around pasta and bread if you’re committed to avoiding it! The will power is STILL a daily struggle but it gets easier wit every passing day, I promise.

Pain

Of course most journeys come with mental and emotional pain and I’ve visited that before; physical pain has also come with my surgery. The intial pain was right after surgery. I had pains from the surgery itself and the incisions.(thankfully with today’s technology I only had 5 tiny incisions on my stomach) I also had to give myself a blood thinning shoot everyday twice a day for ten days right after surgery.

A few weeks into the weight loss I dealt with the most pain from the rapid loss. My hips and joints bothered me constantly for about a month. I asked my doctor about this and he said it’s rather common since your bones and joints are catching up to carrying less weight.

Now the only pain I have is from working out and pushing myself further than I ever have; no pain, no gain, right?!? 😂

Stalls

Most recently I’ve hit my first large stall. How frustrating these stalls can be! I have remained at the same weight for about 2.5 weeks. I was aware this would happen but that hasn’t made it any less annoying! While I’ve still lost 160 lbs and that is AMAZING from where I started I have a ways to go and when you hit a stall you feel so defeated.

Although I do have moments where I feel defeated I try my damndest to not measure my victories simply by the number on the scale! Some times that number can be your worst enemy. Instead I feel how lose my jeans are that were so tight just the week before. Or I look at how much more I can accomplish without feeling exhausted when a month ago I would have only managed half of whatever task I’m doing before needing a break. I compare my pictures to see the progress I’ve made and how far I’ve come. I refuse to let these stalls break me!

I’m not telling you these things as a way of discouraging anyone from continuing on their weight loss journey. I’m voicing these issues because they are my reality. These are the real and honest issues I have faced and will continue to face. But they do not define my journey. They are a small price to pay to feel like I’m living in the body I was always meant to have. ❤️

Current weight: 238