Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Conquering the Plateau


In weight loss, you always hear stories of the plateaus - when the weight just seems to stop and stay fixed on a certain number for an extended time.

Ask anyone who has lost or is trying to lose, and you'll hear the same stories: everyone faces them, and they can be some of the most disheartening parts of the journey.

This picture was taken on September 25 immediately following my Fans on the Field race - my first 10K.

After the race, I took it easy for a bit, basking in my accomplishment and patting myself on the back. 235. 239.

Once I started hitting numbers I wasn't happy with, I started doing something about it again. 237. 234.

October. November. December.

233. 231. 236. 232. 238.

January. February.

230. 235. 232.

Then, one day in late February, it happened.

229.6.

Not convinced.

233. 230. 232. 231.

My biggest plateau I have ever faced is 230.

Then, this week I've been seeing these numbers consistently.

227. 229. 228. 226.

I can finally say after 5 1/2 months, I have conquered the plateau!

This has taught me some valuable things:

I need to have the patience to let things happen when they're supposed to. When things are going well, I am ecstatic. But if they don't go as planned or take longer than expected, then I tend to get discouraged and let things slip a little. Or a lot. So when I get close to getting over the hump and it doesn't happen, it's tough to take. The other side of it is patting myself on the back when things go well and getting complacent. If I have a really good week or especially a good race, I am quick to take a little time off - and sometimes that turns into a lot of time off. This training is making me learn how to stay focused and motivated because I don't have any time to take off- it's 12 weeks of being on my A-game and getting out on the road 4 days a week. Every week. So as I continue to get toward my goal, I am learning how to do some amazing things that I have failed to do over and over again. As you can see, it is making a huge difference. And it feels.... amazing!

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