Patience is a Virtue (and a Little Bitch)

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I am one of those people who cannot stop stepping on the scale. I get on when I wake up, after I pee, after I shower, after my coffee, then again when I get home at night. Well maybe that not much, but you get the point. I think I just pray that something - anything - changes at some point in the day and I magically weigh 10 pounds less. But we all know that obsessing over the scale is truly the worst thing you can do. It's a slow torture that is sure to just piss you off, make you wish you were 21 again, and ultimately steer you off track.

And to add to the fun, I also tend to obsess (just a teensy bit) about how "good" I've been and why I am (or am not) losing weight. Like I've said a million times, I am no stranger to diets, so why have I not realized yet that all this thinking gets me nowhere? It's the doing that gets results. It's the getting up off my ass and going to workout that pays off. It's the healthy eating, cooking, and planning that gets me feeling good. Duh, Cara!

I've also reached a point in my life where I have truly accepted my body. In my book, Sparkle, I talk a lot about this. And I mean it, wholeheartedly. So why am I still getting on that scale 49 times a day and praying for pound meltage? I'll tell you why: because this is going to be a part of my life forever. I will always watch what I eat, and workout, not because I'm a chunky little Italian girl at heart who can't live without her grated parmesan (okay, I am), but because I want to live my best, healthiest life. 

As you probably read a few weeks ago, I am back on The Champagne Diet, as a part of our "Healthy is the New Skinny" campaign with some of my readers and my Champagne Sisters. The first time I followed this diet that I created, I lost 27 pounds. The "diet" was more of a lifestyle, which consists of avoiding processed foods, and indulging in the best of the best: whole, delicious, nutrient-rich foods like fresh veggies, fruits, lean protein such as salmon or lean turkey - and the best part, trading in dessert for a flute or two of champagne at night (wine is allowed as a substitute). I did not count calories, or fat, I just ate (and drank!) good things when I was hungry. Long story short, as I also posted a few weeks ago, I gained some of those 27 pounds back (about 15 to be exact). A happy  marriage with a guy who loves you no matter how large and in charge you may get sounds like a dream, but when you actually put that to the challenge, it can be disastrous. Trust me.

So here I go again, this time older, wiser, and happier. And I am vowing, from this day forward, you, my deliciously dazzling readers as my witness, to stop obsessing over the numbers on the scale. Instead, I vow to just do my absolute best every chance I get. Making a smart decision at each meal, every time my stomach growls, and every time I'm too lazy to pick up a set of weights. No more frantically downloading every fitness app my iPhone can hold, no more flirting with point systems to keep track of what I eat. I did this before the old fashioned way: I just ate sensibly, when I was hungry. I am vowing to be patient and let the pounds come off naturally, as slow as they may be, and remind myself that this time, they're coming off forever.  

Who's with me?