Can your diet ever return to normal after weight loss?

a tomato splashed with water

Embracing the new normal in my life

With the coming of the new year and everyone making resolutions, I am reminded of how many New Year holidays passed while I me reviving the same, tired old resolution to lose weight. And then one year I did it. I lost 80+ pounds (read my story). What’s even better, I’ve kept it off for 8 going on 9 years. Statistics say that almost everyone who loses a significant amount of weight will gain it all back in 2-5 years. How discouraging!

As I reflect on why I’ve been successful where many have not, I credit my mindset going into this, my determination, and more importantly, my Christian faith. I didn’t feel like I was doing it alone.

That first year after I lost the weight, I remember having a conversation with a woman who posed this question to me: “So now that you’ve lost the weight, can you go back to normal eating?” I remember my answer to her, “No. My eating habits can never go back to the way they were. If I went back to my old ways, I would regain the weight.”

For me, the answer is not complicated. I am committed to a healthier lifestyle. I made lifestyle changes and adopted new habits and made them a permanent part of my life. I have a new normal and I’ve embraced it 100%.

Yes, there is the occasional indulgence, as is happening right now with the holidays in full swing. But I never give in fully to the old, poor habits of my past. I recognize they are addicting–as addicting as anything can be. When I eat a lot of salads and stop for a few days, I crave a good salad. If I fall into the habit of eating pecan pie more than only on occasion, I begin to crave decadent food. I don’t know if this is the same for other people, but it’s true for me.

I live with a husband that likes to have desserts and sweets in the house every day, so I don’t have the option of not keeping those things around. I fall back on my mindset and my approach to food, remembering why I love my new lifestyle–and life does indeed, feel normal.

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