One year on MFP.

I began MFP on July 26, 2012. I weighed 478 pounds. At the end of December, 2012, I had dropped 95 pounds to 383. I was knocking at the door of a 100 pound weight loss. Then I let real life interfere with what I was doing here. Over the next 7 months, my weight zoomed back up to 421. Still a 57 pound loss. But not the 120 pound loss that I planned to have at the one year mark.

I am not writing this for kudos, attaboys, "keep your chin ups" or anything of the sort. I am writing this for the one (or several) of you who lost something (or a lot) and gained some or all of it back. I am writing to say that I choose whether to congratulate myself on losing 57 pounds or beat myself up for regaining 38 of my previously lost pounds. I choose the former. I choose to set my sights on being down another 100 pounds by this time next year, for a total MFP loss of 157 pounds. I choose to learn from the mistakes that I've made and to use that wisdom to help me avoid them over the coming year. I am writing to say that so long as we are willing to continue to step into the batter's box and risk striking out, we continue to have the chance to hit a home run. I am writing to say that nothing that we did yesterday, or last week, or last month, or last year, guarantees the success or failure of our today, our next week, our next month, or our next year. The only thing that guarantees that is our own individual effort, determination, drive, motivation, willpower, and fortitude in the face of adversity.

I started today by consuming 1,100 calories worth of barbeque. When I was finished, I thought today would be just another day in the red as many recent days have been. But then I slammed on the brakes. I chose to control food, and not let food control me. I end the day very satisfied, and with hundreds of calories to spare. I can do this. You can do this. We can do this. The only remaining question is whether we will expend the effort that is necessary for us to get where we want to go tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. Personally, I KNOW that we can do it. Join me, won't you?

Humbly submitted,
Scott R. in Houston, Tx.