Calories are my ally, not my enemy

I have been on MFP since late February. Like most of you, I put in my numbers, set it to lose a pound a week. I lost 6 bs right away then stalled. I didn't lose a thing for 4 weeks. I was starving all the time, struggling to compete my work outs and my body was just fatigued. I then found the group: Eat more, Weigh Less and I was sold from the beginning. I upped my calories and began a heavy lifting program. The results in 4 weeks were amazing, 1.5" off my waist, 6lbs dropped, and 3% reduction in my BF%. I look and feel like a totally different person. That is when the realization hit me:

I am no longer on a diet, I am changing my body.

Calories and food have taken on a whole new meaning for me. Calories are no longer my enemy. They are my ally in helping me lift heavier, burn fat, and reshape my body. I no longer look at food and say: "I can't eat that". I no longer feel like I am in prison. I eat what I want, I log it, and move on. What has happened is that I find myself making healthier choices all around, not because I fear food or what it will do for me, but because I know if I put better food in my body, that weight that is waiting for me won't be as heavy, that my muscles will heal faster, and I can lift more the next time I work out. This is something I can do for the rest of my life.

I still have a WL goal. My goal is to look good, be strong, and feel better both physically and psychologically. Join with me, forget the scale (or at least only get it out once a month). Track your food choices, and use food as your fuel to change your body, not as your enemy. Enjoy your life, eat BBQ and have a small piece of dessert or a drink at the party, don't stress over occasional non-clean food choices and focus on the long term goal of body recomposition.