Tomorrow morning is my weigh-in day.  And I am ready.  My mindset is changing (more on that another day) and I am focusing on taking care of me and doing what I need to do in order to move myself just a little bit closer to my goal. 

One of those things I am doing, is paying attention to those little changes I am making… the small everyday victories that build my self-confidence, remind me I CAN do it and inspire me to keep going.  I am paying attention to all those non-scale victories!

This week I had two days that were VERY stressful.  The kind of days that makes someone want to drink.  The kind of day that makes me want to eat-anything and everything. 

I had to do my weekly grocery shopping in the midst of some heavy stress that first day and that had my mind saying “go ahead and get the cookies, candy and chips.  It’s early in your week and you will have time to get that back off!  I went to the store, determined that I would eat this stress.  No one would know.  No one except me, of course. 

I came home from the store that first day, with NONE of the things I had wanted in order to eat my stress.  HOW did I NOT give in?  HOW did the cookies NOT make their way to my cart? 

Well, the cookies (chocolate sugar cookies with marshmallow frosting and bits of graham crackers on them) did get picked up.  I stood there in the bakery and held the package of 10 cookies in my hand.  And it was then that I remembered the card in my purse.  I had written my “whys” and the advantages of losing weight for me on that card.  And I read it right then.  And then I put the cookies down.  

Losing weight and being healthy is far more important to me than that package of cookies. I am worth far more than that package of cookies.

So, instead of eating my stress, I went home, put away the healthy groceries and I patted myself on the back!

I was so proud of myself!  I AM so proud of myself! 

If I had given in to the stress eating, I would have felt guilty, which would have sent me down a hole for a bit.  Instead, I was proud.  And I didn’t feel deprived, because those cookies were a WANT born of the stress of the day and not for any other reason.  Instead of feeling deprived I felt that I was finally taking care of me.  And THAT feels awesome!

The next day was just as stressful.  And the thought crossed my mind again, because I needed to make a run to the store for a non-food item I had forgotten the previous day.  And I knew the temptation might be stronger this time, so instead of going to the grocery store, I went to the pharmacy.  Less temptations there.  I found what I needed and then walked straight to the zingers…. I picked up the chocolate and vanilla ones and then remembered.  And I put them down and left (after paying for the one item of course). 

So, when I step on the scale tomorrow, it does not matter to me what it says.  I am proud of my week.  I am proud of myself.  And this week proved to me that I CAN and I WILL reach my goal!