Motivational Monday - Learning From Failure

At the Bible conference our church hosted a few weeks ago one of the ministers made this comment: 

"What if you fail?  

The worst that can happen is 

you learn a great lesson that will prove beneficial 

in the next stage of your life."

-Pastor Carlos Morales  Norfolk, VA

I immediately pulled out my phone to make a note because that is so true in any area of life, including weight loss and living healthier. 

When I began my final weight loss journey in 2009 I began this blog because it was a place I would be able to track my journey without having to share with anyone else about trying to lose weight [again] and face embarrassment if I failed.  

In fact, my many failed attempts at weight loss, and keeping it off, lead me to only shared my desire to gain control of my health with my husband and one close friend.  I also refrained from joining a specific diet group or plan, because I knew my problem wasn't in having a good plan to follow it was in following a good plan. 

Did you hear that?  

"I didn't join a weight loss group or plan, because I knew...."

Without even realizing it at the time, my past failures at weight loss actually taught me some things that proved very beneficial when I started out on this final attempt to lose weight and get healthier.

• I learned my lack of discipline was more to blame than the actual plans I had tried.  
• I knew my biggest success with weight loss was my one attempt at "eating when hungry and stopping when satisfied".   
• I knew losing weight and keeping it off was going to require a lifestyle change, not a quick fix.
• I knew the few times in my life when exercise was a regular habit I had felt better all around.

I guess in those years of trying and failing I learned quite a lot.

And while my past failed attempts at weight loss aren't something I'm necessarily proud of, they did give me reference points to draw on that lead to my success this final time around.