Funk Part 2

I've finished catching up on blogs. Wow, it appears I am not the only out there in a little funk. While it makes me sad that others go through this, it reassures me that it is just a part of life. Funks happen. It's how we deal with it that matters.

I must honestly admit that while I am in this funk, I am handling it better than I would have a few months ago. Much better. So I need to give myself credit for that.

One of the blogs I read, Merry Mary, wrote a post about motivation versus determination. She so nailed it. Motivation waxes and wanes, determination is forever. Determination is what counts.

This issue over my friend last night was about judgment. This friend is another low-carber. I have no problems with how people choose to eat, what plan they wish to follow, or the lifestyle they choose to lead. I do have a problem when they pass judgment on me and my personal choices. Live and let live. And she was in a meeting with other friends and making fun of what I ate, some of my choices, the fact that I eat baked chips and a few other things. She didn't like that I drink diet sodas. She didn't like that I eat cereal for breakfast. Yada, yada, yada. In a small town, stuff gets back to you fast.

That was hurtful because I don't judge her on her choices. I don't judge anyone on what they eat. (I do judge people, and it's on character--I'm human, not perfect.) The key to success, in my mind, is personalizing things to suit the individual. I started at 282.5. There is no way on God's green earth that I can make an instant switch from eating garbage, refined carbs, etc., to clean eating overnight. For me, it needs to be a gradual process. I have been making small changes each week. I eat much healthier than I did in February. The gradual changes ease me into it, enable me to succeed. The gradual changes build. Over time, health improves, tastes change, food choices are better.

To me, that's what it's all about. Changes, permanent changes. I'm not setting myself up to fail, I'm setting myself up to succeed.

So she can judge all she wants, I guess. This is my journey, I am making it mine in every aspect, doing what I need to succeed. I am determined. I am not perfect, and have never professed to being perfect. I'm doing it my way.

The one piece of advice I give everyone: Personalize, do it your way.

That doesn't mean I don't read, research, and continue to learn. I do! That's how I'm able to come up with small changes along the way. I do it at my pace, on my terms.

I'm kind of selfish in this regard, but I know deep down, I won't succeed unless I am selfish, unless I make changes on my terms and my timeline.

To me, that's a big part of the mental battle. You have to accept things, admit things, then be willing to change. That just can't happen overnight--at least for me it can't. It would just be too overwhelming.

Like setting small weight-loss goals, setting small change goals works. For me.

So I can hold my head up high, ignore the gossip, and not let it get to me. Five years from now it won't matter, but my work, what I am doing, will.

Staying strong, staying determined. That will get me through the funk. That will get me through life!