Oh, I have got to tell you guys- there have been so many ups and downs in this journey. I don’t even know where to start. It was about a year ago that we began taking our health more seriously and we really made so much progress.  

But… 

I’m not going to pull any punches here, instead I’m going to state the obvious and say that this is hard. Like really hard.  

Our lives got incredibly busy over the summer and I found that I was compromising probably more than I should have.  

We also traveled more than we usually do, and, in the spring, we found ourselves in San Antonio Texas visiting our son. I don’t know about you but one of my favorite things to do while traveling is to eat. I absolutely love to try different restaurants and this short vacation was no different. Let me tell you- we had some of the very best Mexican food we have ever had on this trip.  

Actually, we had it twice and in large quantities.  

I rolled myself out of that place.  

My mouth is salivating just thinking about it.  

Then, as summer began, we went on a cruise to celebrate our 25^th (closer to the 26^th) anniversary. We had planned this trip with friends and were looking forward to just relaxing, celebrating, and eating… and eating… and eating.  

Oh, that cruise food.  

I tried to eat in moderation on that trip.  

I really tried, but by the third day I had completely thrown moderation out the window and I was fully trying all the food.  

And I do mean ALL.THE.FOOD. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again- when this girl does something, she does it right. Good and bad.  

We got back from that big old boat and felt like big old boats ourselves.  

Life.  

We did manage to get back on track when we disembarked but oh it was so much harder. My husband kept going to the kitchen and threatening bad reviews on yelp. (He is seriously funny and usually in trouble…)  

Thankfully we quickly got back on track (for the most part) and continued to maintain our progress.  

And then… 

I got an opportunity to visit my son again- this time we would meet in Dallas TX.  

Guys, there is only so much resolve that I have and mine was melting away by the minute.  

Texas is known for its BBQ and we found ourselves experiencing not only mouth-watering barbecue, but great little unique restaurants, some of the most amazing food trucks and family’s home cooking that fit every single bill.  

My pants however did not fit anymore. (Okay- so they still fit, but not comfortably)  

I guess the best part of this journey is that it doesn’t end. When I make the best choices, (tonight for example while I am writing this- I’m craving sweets and junk food, but instead I ate some amazing mango chicken and veggies) I see progress in myself. 

And when I make the not so good choices… well the truth is that doesn’t mean that I’ve failed or that I’m not going to make the goals I’ve set.  

Our minds tell us all sorts of things and when I got on the scale recently, I realized that all those months of good healthy decisions were not lost. Some of the pounds may have come back, but many of them haven’t. That means that where I’m starting today is much farther along than when we began this journey many months ago.  

And what has happened inside of me is so different than where I was in my yo yo diet, you are not good enough, you will never succeed years. 

Now, the scale is an object, but I am not. The scale is just a number, my pants are just a size, and my heart is no longer tied to any of them.  

Do I get discouraged? Yep, but I also get motivated and hopeful. I get to see where I’ve been and where I’m going.  

I get to try and fail and try and win. I get to pick myself up and next year as I write an update to this- I’ll probably have a few more wins and a few more losses to report but all of it will be a story of this amazing life that I’ve been gifted with.  

I have been so blessed to have been able to visit my son and celebrate our anniversary in such an amazing way this year. When I put all of that into perspective, I wouldn’t change a thing. All those memories were worth a few numbers on the scale.  

Soooooo completely worth it.  

You are worth it too. 

Start writing your story today. Quit worrying about perfection and just appreciate the progress.  

You will win some and you will lose some but, in the end, it really is the journey that matters most. Take the leap today and enjoy the trip.