Doing the Best I Can

I pride myself on being honest about my journey on the HCG Diet. Its important to me to maintain the trust Ive built between my readers because they mean so very much to me. I am being completely serious when I say I owe a lot of my success to the people who have read my blog and offered support to me through comments when I needed it most. That being said, at times I feel a tremendous amount of pressure to be successful with this diet. If somehow I were to fail, Id have hundreds of captive readers watching that failure. I also know that several people look to my success on this diet as a reason for they themselves to start losing weight. And I love that. I love being someones inspiration to get healthy. As lovely, rewarding, and heartwarming that is, I am also required to be more aware and responsible for my actions while on the HCG Diet.

When I cheat, I think of all the people who have sent me emails thanking me for being an example of determination for them. I dont want to let anyone down, especially the people who, like me, are struggling to change their lives. But the truth is, this diet is hard. Even I have my days where I struggle.

Lets start with last week. Ever since I broke the 200 pound mark Ive been bouncing between 195 pounds and 196 pounds. For 6 days I would  go up .4, down .8, up .6, down .3. I was getting extremely frustrated knowing I was doing everything in my power to stick to the diet yet not seeing the reward on the scale. This frustration almost made my goal to reach 170 by February 28th seem impossible. Not reaching my goal would mean missing out on a $1000 shopping spree sponsored by my work.

I woke up on Super Bowl Sunday scared that I would end up cheating at a family party that evening. Doing so would set me even further back from that already unlikely shopping incentive. Emotionally I was not in a place to combat the food temptations that would be surrounding me.

I sat there staring at my bedroom wall, in tears at the thought of disappointing anyone by cheating. Then I was struck with the overwhelming realization that I am doing this for me. I am not perfect. I am not in a hurry to lose weight. I will have days when I eat food I am not supposed to. My goal is to be healthy and HAPPY and the best way I can do that is by trying my best.

I ended up eating some seven layer dip.The next morning I had to deal with the consequences of that action when I stepped on the scale. I accepted it, and moved on by getting back on track. I want to be clear that I am not perfect when it comes to dieting. Like many, I have really bad days. I can feel completely comfortable saying that I am trying my best. I cant promise anyone that I will come out of this weight loss journey without skinned knees, but I can promise that I will never give up, even when I fall.


This week, I am in Las Vegas at a conference for work. Most of the meals are provided through the hotel as arranged by the seminar sponsors. There is so much delicious food, but Im sticking to protocol the best I can. Last night I went to the fanciest steak house Ive ever been to. While I was tempted to go for a huge steak, I went for an 8 oz sirloin and grilled asparagus. I gave half of the steak to a colleague and savored every bite of what was on my plate. For lunch I ate grilled chicken and some sort of tomato onion salad. I cant guarantee that everything is free from oil, butter, or sugar. But I am doing the best I can. This is the first time Ive ever been to Vegas and I keep reminding myself that I can experience the city without experiencing the cuisine. I have a few more days left before I go home, but I think that even eating out I can make healthy decisions.

Sometimes I think even I need a reminder that changing if I expect to change my WHOLE life, it is going to be a day by day struggle. We all have our moments when circumstances are out of our control. We all have days when mentally we cant handle anymore. Its OK to have these days, just dont let one of these bad days convince you to give up on your overall goal.

I may not end up getting my shopping spree, and thats OK. Ultimately a shopping spree isnt my priority (even though some new clothes would be fantastic). I may not reach my goal weight by the anticipated date, and thats OK too. In the end I am doing this diet to be healthy and to inspire others to do the same. Theres no rush. :)

Related Posts by Categories