A Tribute to Staying On Plan 100%

So I'm in the final leg of my weight loss journey, with just six pounds to my goal now. I've been a bit lax lately with the condiments and measuring my lean and green meal, and my scale was getting pretty comfortable where it was.

I was sick of seeing that number and decided to reassess my goals and focus on the plan mechanics so I can get to goal and go on transition and maintenance. Within 24 hours of getting back on plan 100%, I'm down almost five pounds, which is testament to how well the plan works, IF YOU FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER!

Now I'm at 128 pounds down (and a BMI of 23.9!), and still can't believe how close I am to goal. I put a copy of my before and "almost" after on my fridge to remind myself of how far I've come and how close I am to getting to where I want to be. It's a great reminder when I'm tempted to have that extra optional snack. You might've seen this pic before, but I just can't stop staring. Seeing it in full color instead of just "knowing" I've lost almost 130 pounds is such a powerful motivator to keep going and never go back to the before picture!

I had discovered a trigger food in peanut butter powder and almonds and had completely eliminated them for a while. This week I decided to give them another go with the mindset that I DO want these things when I get to maintenance, and I HAVE to learn to control myself. If I can't control myself, I won't be allowed to have them. And guess what? I've had NO problem with having them in the house. I've been able to have my allotted amount for the day without having to go back for thirds, and fourths. Just having the mindset that I KNOW they are there, but I WILL NOT let them control me seems to have helped.

Being so close to Maintenace, I've started studying the T&M guides and have figured out my caloric intake for once I get there. I'm pretty confident that I will ALWAYS track my calories, because being aware of what I'm putting in my body will help keep me on track and not put the weight back on, which is SO important. Reading through the Medifast message boards, there are lots of people who were successful on Medifast/TSFL but put the weight back on and are back for a second round. What did they attribute their "failure" to? NOT doing transition and maintenance and going back to their old eating habits.

I know that this is a lifestyle change and I can't go back to how I was eating before starting this process. I will eat whole foods. Nothing processed, no white flour or sugar. I envision Maintenance, at least for me, as lots of fruits and veggies, lean meat and low fat dairy and only whole grains. Being on Medifast this long has completely re-booted my system. This is my chance to start fresh. Truth be told, I'm scared. Medifast is comfortable. Medifast is easy. And it WORKS. Once I'm on maintenance, now I have to be the one making the calorie decisions. But I'm confident that I've been taught the tools I need to be successful.

Here's to the next 6 pounds! I'll post another "after" pic when I get there!