Value the Journey

Even though most of us consider reaching our weight loss goal as defining our success, there is much value in the journey itself.

At no other point during the weight loss process will you get to enjoy so many positive victories. Think about it. Every day your body is changing in a multitude of ways. You might not have been able to sit on the floor comfortably last week but here you are, today, losing track of time while playing with your grandson. Clothes that were too tight only a few weeks ago now are baggy. Perhaps you're breathing easier due to not having to carry around so much weight. Maybe your collarbones are making an appearance for the first time in your adult life, or you received a compliment from a co-worker about your weight loss. All of these things help to keep you on the path to your goal and affirm that you are closer to it every day. These non-scale victories can give you much-needed motivation to keep going even when the scale is not cooperating.

The journey to thinness can also be a period of great learning. We can get to know ourselves more intimately as we explore the reasons we are overweight. As the layers of weight peel away, we can't help but reveal more of who we truly are inside. The act of shedding weight along with the process of learning why we are overweight prompts a release of mental baggage that has kept us imprisoned and afraid to truly live.

It is the journey itself that teaches us the most. Enjoy it while it lasts.

"Success consists in getting up just one more time than you fall." -Oliver Goldsmith