This past weekend I celebrated ONE YEAR of maintenance from hitting all my numbers at 30/10!!!

ONE YEAR.
365 days.
1,095 meals (give or take a few)

I simply cannot believe it. It went by in a flash! And I am pretty darn proud of myself for this weight loss success, if I do say so. (And it’s my blog, so I do) 🙂

SPEAKING of I Do – my sister Erin got MARRIED two weeks ago and it was the best day ever!!! Look for a post on that coming soon, but until then, enjoy this picture as much as I do:

Forgive the digression, it’s been an exciting month.

While I have achieved the dreaded first year of maintaining weight loss, I have to be fully honest about how it went, because life is NEVER all prosecco and popcorn.

Confessions:

• I’ve gained about 5 pounds. At least 2 of it is muscle, I think some of it is water, but it’s a gain. I’m not upset about it, but here we are. My body just wants to hang out around this weight, and I haven’t done much to push it out of it.
• I still drink.
• I still eat carbs.
• Sugar reentered my life like an excited puppy wanting a hug and hasn’t left
• Some of the “absolutely not” foods are still a regular part of my diet

HOWEVER!! Because of those things, I made different changes in my life, which has given me the grace to shamelessly continue doing them.

• I started working out 2-3 times per week, in a HIIT style workout (shout out to FBBC!) at 5:30am or 6:15am (so I wouldn’t have to work out in the evening when I would find excuses not to)
• I drink WAY more water, which helps me feel full and flush out my system
• I got a Treaddesk, which allows me to hit (and overachieve) my 10,000 steps a day with ease
• I eat smaller portion sizes and add more veggies into every meal

Like I’ve told you for a year: it’s about balance.

I’m certainly not saying its been an easy breeze of a year. I have had to make conscious decisions about what I am doing, eating, and thinking in order to stay healthy and keep my weight where I want it to be. One of the best parts of doing 30/10 is that when you graduate to maintenance, you can do regular check ins forever. There’s a reason the full company name is 30/10 Weight Loss for Life! Not only will they help you to lose weight, they’ll help you keep it off for life. I go in every other Tuesday morning to weigh in, see where all my numbers are at, and discuss any changes that may be hurting or helping me. We catch bad habits and weight gain early, so I can adjust when its 1-2 pounds, not when its 10-20 pounds.

Whether you want to lose weight, are losing weight, or have lost weight and seeking to maintain, you need to remember that a) you’re amazing just by trying and b) one of the biggest parts of your success will be accountability. By writing this blog, I have made my weight loss public, and I want to keep it that way. Living out loud, open, and honest ensures that I cannot sneak and cheat and gain weight without notice. Involving my family and friends and answering all the questions and hearing that I had inspired people (honestly still shocking, but thank you) made it so that I had to keep going, keep up my success, to not let anyone down, including myself. I’ve told you before I’m ridiculously competitive – here is where it kicks into high gear. I don’t lose well – I’d be pissed if I failed.

So I won’t.

I ensured the mindset stick in a way that works for me. It’s not all kale and quinoa. The food I eat when I eat healthy tastes amazing (thanks Pinterest!) and my workouts are hard, but I also still get to have fun, I am not deprived. But my body, my tastes, and my mindset have changed, and that was the hardest part of all of this.

I thank you, dear readers, friends, and family, for keeping me honest throughout this year. You’ve questioned me, applauded me, sassed me, and kept me on track. Accountability matters, and you have made all the difference.

Here’s to another 50 years of accountability, balance, and keeping it off!

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