WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION vs. THE PIE

Okay, so I entered this weight-loss competition.  The goal was to try to lose the most weight between  mid-November, and January 7.

I know I said that losing weight shouldn't be your goal, and it wasn't my true goal.  I just thought that perhaps I could win this competition and help give our family a little income boost.  Before we were given a free car, I entered this to try to help earn a little extra money to help put towards a vehicle for my husband.  And then THIS HAPPENED. Click here to read more.

I know- you're probably wondering if I won.

The answer is no.  I did not win the grand prize.

But I learned a little something about myself.  I learned that it is actually possible for me to complete something I start- no matter how difficult (and TRUST ME when I say this was one of the most difficult things I've done since this journey began.)

My goal was to beat last year's winner- who lost 22 pounds.  I have quite a ways to go on my journey towards health and wellness, and I know much of that will be weight that comes off in the process.  But knowing my thirst for competition, and my passion for health, I thought surely I could beat last year's total.

I didn't work out tons- and now I wish I would have.  I blamed it on an injury, but in reality, I could have done THIS WORKOUT (12 MINUTES a day) and I'd probably have at the very least, surpassed my original goal.

During the competition, I ate only the foods on the "Advanced Plan".  The ADVANCED PLAN is the healthy eating plan we follow out of a book called MAXIMIZED LIVING- more on this in tomorrow's blog.

So, like I said, I followed the plan almost the entire time... with the exception of a few "treats" that I allowed myself, simply because...  I'm a food junkie and eating is what we do.  I'm kidding- sort of.  I really allowed myself a few treats because it was the holidays and I wanted to enjoy the things with my family like the chocolate pie that my mother made (My grandmother's recipe) because, let's face it- you'd eat it to, I don't care how opposed to sugar you are.  Seriously- it's THAT good.


And then there was the Pumpkin Pie.  Seriously- why is it always PIE!?!?

Oh, and did I mention that our family was blessed by Dr. Zaino with a FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL from Hubbell and Hudson???  FREE.  As in....  I totally enjoyed an AMAZING meal with my family (and I do mean A-MA-ZING!) at no cost to us- WHATSOEVER!

So there was that...  but my portions were small (for the most part) when I enjoyed my treats... except for the pie.  I managed to use self-control and I prayed...  a TON.

I was convinced that I could do this and that I would do this...  and I truly believe that through the power of prayer, I DID do this!

And when all is said and done, I can look back at those handful of times that I allowed myself a few treats, and I can say- Yes.  It was absolutely worth it.  I was extremely blessed, after all was said and done, to be able to say that I lost (with my clothes on) a grand total of 18.6 pounds!!!  Wooohooo!!!  Seeing as how I've started several of these competitions in the past and usually give in by day 2, I'd say I'm pretty pumped about this accomplishment.

18.6 pounds is about how much my daughter weighed when she was a year old.  So, I basically just lost a toddler- and gained an excitement, a whole new motivation.

I NEVER thought I'd say I am thankful to have lost a competition- especially when money was involved.  But if the winner (who lost somewhere around 33 pounds...  seriously) feels anything like I do- I'd say I'm certainly thankful that this person won and I did not.

Someone who loses that much weight truly does deserve this.  Without all of my "special treats" and possibly adding back in the work outs, who knows where I would have been?  But this person worked hard to earn the right to be called a winner, and they have my total respect.

In fact, all of us who participated and actually lost during the holidays- I'd say we're all winners!  This is THE FIRST TIME I've ever followed through with a commitment like this- EVER, so I'm looking forward to my next mile marker on this journey.

Tomorrow I'll share some awesome words of wisdom from Mrs. Zaino- Whitney- who has truly proven to be a wealth of information and insight on healthy eating.  And I'll share with you how you can have the tremendous opportunity to learn some more of this information first-hand, this weekend.

Thanks for reading, and thank you for your encouragement.

18.6 pounds lighter (with my clothes on!)

The Fat Girl, Slim