Dear Old Me,

The waiting is the hardest part. I have hit a little bit of a plateau and I am beginning to get impatient. I am beginning to feel desperate like I have so many times in the past. I am forcing myself to remember that the process works and the only way to reach my goals is to push through and be patient even when I am not seeing huge changes. This is probably the biggest lesson that anyone can learn when it comes to weight loss.
The weight will continue to come off if I keep up the hard work. It feels like it was only yesterday when I said I was finally going to lose weight. I had said it a million times and got a week or two in only to quit or start slacking because it was taking so long and I didn't have the patience to wait. The obvious problem with this is that by quitting the process I NEVER, ever lost weight.

The days will pass whether you are doing what it takes or not. You might as well be doing what it takes! Believe me, there have been many, many, many times over the last 18 months when I have been discouraged. I was still me, I was still fat. I was still only able to shop in the plus size section. I felt like I was not getting anywhere. And then something clicked. There are times I walk past my reflection and don't even realize it is me. I try on clothes that I would have been tight only a couple of months ago and they are literally falling off. Last night while I was drying my hair I saw muscle definition in my arms and shoulders that I had never seen before. A random guy in my apartment complex nearly ran into the parking structure and had to stop and tell me how amazing I looked. Ryan hugs me around my waist and his arms go all the way around and then some. I am smaller than I ever remember being in my entire life. I feel amazing and happy. Fulfilled and content. I can be patient.

I am now at a point where I feel like an entirely new person every day. The glimpses of the old me are going away slowly but surely. The times I look in the mirror and like what I see are far more common place nowadays.

You will get there… Slowly but surely. Be patient and don't give up! It’s just a matter of time.

Love,The New You