I have written in the past about PERSEVERANCE, although now I want to add DETERMINATION to that as you need to have determination in order persevere and I have just that. I am determined to reach a healthy weight and maintain for life, no question about it. Therefore I have persevered on my journey to optimal health no matter what bumps in the road that popped up along the way.
I am reminded by the quote below that "I MUST NOT QUIT" no matter what obstacles I face:
"When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit."
~ Unknown
I have been maintaining a 346 pound weight loss for well over a year, a weight loss that has literally saved my life.
There have been many factors that contributed to this maintenace. I am working on changing what I can and accepting those things that I cannot change and working on realizing the difference---which brings me to the Serenity Prayer. This is so important as there are things in our lives that we cannot change and we need to know the difference between those things we can and cannot change.
Over that past year or so I have been hospitalized and have been going through some health issues including severe osteoarthrits in my left knee and lymphedema of both my calves. After many tests, which revealed nothing too serious, while in the hospital I was put on various medications which have kept me from losing weight along with my limited mobility due to extreme pain in my left knee. With the lymphedema comes a lot of fluid retention as my lymph system is damaged in my calves therefore holding onto a lot of fluid as it is unable to push it through my body via the lymph system. I went through lymphedema therapy, was able to get compressive stockings custom made although they caused sores and I have not been able to wear them and need to go through therapy again to get the fluid out and try the stockings again.
Even with all of this I am determined to continue this journey to optimal health and reach a healthy weight. I am off the medications that have been affecting my weight loss and am working with my rheumatologist to alleviate my knee pain without having a total knee replacement. I have purchased a treadmill and have been able to get on it for 6 minutes at a time due to the knee pain. I am working on increasing this as my knee strengthens and want to start using my recumbent bicycle as well as both these are good for my knee. I know I need to start slow and build up and with the increased exercise I will be helping my knee and my weight loss as I get stronger and more physical fit.
I am DETERMINED and therefore I WILL PERSERVERE!!!!!
Mary
