The weight loss journey is a long one, and that is most certainly why they call it a journey. For me, this journey seriously began for me in September of 2014, about thirty days after getting engaged to my wonderful fiance. Since September, I've worked through many trials and difficulties, but what I've just come through may have been one of the hardest parts of my journey yet.
On March 1st, my whole life changed. I'm a busy person in general, but when soccer season began, all sense of control and routine in my well-established weight loss plan seemed to completely escape my grasp. For the first week, I kept up beautifully: meals were prepared, I was at the gym by 6:00am, and I was feeling strong. Then, I got sick. Like, really sick. For two whole weeks. I lost all energy to meal plan, I felt extraordinarily tired, and I started reverting to some old habits that I thought I had said goodbye to - most disappointingly, eating at fast food joints.
Today I posted this on Instagram and I have felt back on my game with my fitness. Nutrition was not so good today - I'm still at school for parent teacher conferences and I didn't bring enough snacks to hold me over and ended up going out to eat for dinner.
But here's the truth about this journey - Debbie's said it to me dozens of times - it's not about getting down on yourself for one bad decision, or even two weeks worth of bad decisions, it's about persevering through them. It's about RECOVERY. It's about RECOMMITTING every time life tries to swerve you back to your old ways.
For me, I know I'm losing focus when I'm losing touch with my Instagram community and my mentors and coaches, especially my good friend Debbie. When I stop checking in with her, I'm struggling. Whether you are part of the Instagram #fitfam or you're trying to lose weight on your own, my best advice is to find someone to count on. Someone to check in with. For me, that's my beautiful co-author on this blog. She understands me, motivates me, and can relate to me and my journey. SHE'S BEEN THERE. Tomorrow is another new day full of all new choices to make. While this season of my life is hectic (planning a wedding, moving to a new apartment, coaching a sport, teaching classes, mentoring a new teacher, supporting a student teacher, etc), I'm learning how to deal. I will probably slip up a lot right now. I'm virtually never at my house (my poor cats!) and when I am, all I want to do is just finally relax! But through the help and mentorship of my Instagram community and my friends, I get back on track for meal planning and prep.
Best wishes to you, especially if you feel you're in a slump right now. RECOVERY is on the way!
xo,
Amanda
“Real hope combined with real action has always pulled me through difficult times. Real hope combined with doing nothing has never pulled me through.”
― Jenni Schaefer
Today is a new start. The first of every month always signals a fresh beginning in a weight loss journey. Some months, like my March this year, are just brutally difficult to endure. For me, it was the weather and fighting off what felt like a three-week long cold. But, as we've learned, this journey is about transformation, not about being on another "diet". This month, Debbie and I are on track to drop 10 pounds and restore the clean eating in our diet that we know feels so good. One other thing that helps me reinvigorate my tenacity is staying connected to my Instagram #fitfam. I put together a little calendar to keep everyone on the same page and focused on making April count. 
