I was going to start this post with a pic of hubby in his snug Tshirt wielding some implement of tree or bush destruction, but after a year and a half in our house, following nearly two decades of apartment dwelling, the bloom is definitely off the rose of home maintenance. It just ISN’T sexy. But you gotta do it. Trimming, staining, bag worm masscre-ing - it’s all part of the joy of keeping the place you live in nice and worth the investment you have made in it.

When you start the Meltdown, like the Love Boat it’s all exciting and new (you’re welcome to my age cohort for that earworm.) You see dramatic changes in pretty short time periods. People notice! Your life is full of firsts - full push-ups, new pants sizes, shopping in “regular” clothing stores. And as we go along and settle into the “new normal”, there seem to be seasons for certain struggles - we expect that the holidays may be hard, and some folks throw caution to the wind as of Halloween and figure they’ll pick back up in January. But we each begin at a different time and mental place, so where we run into the Meltdown equivalent of the “sophomore slump” can vary dramatically.

This is a great article that draws from the author’s book: Foodaholic: The Seven Stages of Permanent Weight Loss . Consider checking it out to move you further along your path from “diet” thinking to “life change” thinking. Losing weight is easy, even FUN - it’s keeping it off that just kinda stinks sometimes. One of the common themes I hear that people have trouble putting into words is “resentment” at having to be constantly vigilant of creeping pounds.

Each of us is born with a certain amount of genetic baggage that will rule some percentage of our results in various arenas of life. It just is, and no amount of frustration about the person who looks like they eat all day and never gain a pound will change OUR situations. And you are not consigned to a life of plain chicken breasts and raw broccoli - there are many ways to mix up food that is good for you and actually makes you feel good. It’s absolutely a toss-up between time, money and taste. I make no secret of the fact that I prioritize time above all else - but if the enjoyment of food is important to you (and there’s nothing wrong with that) you will have to put a little bit of time into preparing it - which I see busy people doing all the time - or the money into eating out. Ultimately, we have to decide that we want to feel better AND look better, and that the fleeting sensation of something crossing our lips isn’t more important than the overarching quality of our lives.

As we cross the halfway point of bootcamp, I encourage you to resist with all your might the “eight week thinking” trap - start preparing now to make this a lifestyle change you can live with. That means not living for the cheat, and understanding that your body, like your home, requires attention that isn’t always fun, but will keep it from falling apart before its time.

All the best,

Marcey

Coach Marcey Tidwell is started as a client with NGPT in January 2011. Joining the team as an accountability coach, she wears many hats in assisting the Meltdown Nation! Nurse Marcey by day, she brings a wealth of knowledge the program!