3 months down - The Real work begins

                         Historically the third month of any new healthy eating plan has been my hardest.  This is when it gets hard.  The enthusiasm has waned and temptation reigns supreme.  This time around was no exception, I hit a wall.  But where I have failed before and given up this time I chose to pick myself up and power through.  In the process I learned a lot about myself.  I have really been analyzing my thoughts and actions and what causes me to make the choices I do.  I realize how detrimental having a "diet" mentality is.  But it is so hard to break that mentality.  It's kind of ingrained into you after so many diets and/or diet attempts.  I know that diets only work in the temporary.  If you change what you are doing to lose weight but then you go back to your old ways after your done losing guess what happens...you gain it back.  Sometimes with some extra weight in tow.  Of course I have heard the whole "lifestyle change over diet" before.  But to be honest I never embraced it.  Truly trying to change your approach to eating is hard, very very hard.  I love the Trim Healthy Mama plan but being a naturally picky eater I do not always love all of the food.  There are tons of good food choices that I do enjoy but if I am being honest there is quite a bit I don't care for.  I'm not a veggie eater and I love bread and potatoes, those are my biggest vices.  Admitting that does not change the facts that I need to change my mentality.  Rather it enforces that concept.  This is why I believe having a year long commitment is good, it keeps me motivated because I do not want to fail.  But more than that I am striving to change my ingrained food behaviors.  Trial by fire sometimes let me tell you.  I am battling myself right now almost daily.  In a way I'm glad that this happened, my eating off  plan when I did.  Because it has forced me not to just blindly choose the right choices but to really examine the why.  Plus I need to break that diet mentality.  It is diet mentality to say "Oh well I blew it this meal so I might as well eat bad all day."  It is diet mentality to punish yourself and /or berate yourself for choosing to eat something off plan.  In the real world you will have good reason to eat off plan.  It is your choice and you need to remember that.  You are not in slavery to food.  You have the option to eat whatever you choose.  You just need to make an informed non guilt ridden decision on what is the best choice for you at this moment.  If you can learn to walk in the food freedom this knowledge brings I believe lifelong success is attainable!  This truth propels me forward, I will break my bad behaviors and embrace a healthier view on food.  I will not feel guilty if I choose a not so healthy option on occasion.  I will eat on plan the majority of the time and continue learning about myself and growing while I'm shrinking.  Speaking of shrinking.  Even in the midst of a turmoil filled March I still lost 4.8 pounds putting my total at 20 pounds gone forever!  I am beyond thrilled and excited to continue on this lifelong journey.  I hit my goal of 10,000 or more steps a day 16 days of March according to my fitbit, however my fitbit was broke for about a week until I got a new band and I still walked on my treadmill so it was probably about 20 days.  Thanks for reading and supporting me, I so much appreciate it!