My Weight Journey Is OVER...said no one ever.

If you've ever been on a diet and "finished" it, you know that it's nearly impossible to keep your weight off.  As you try to become a regular member of society by actually eating a real meal, you become frustrated because you gain weight.  For years, I would diet and slowly quit eating cereal for supper or quit taking the diet pill or eat more than 1000 calories per day.  Before I turned around, I had gained all of the weight back plus some.  I would balloon back up then start dieting again...that's when I would lose weight, only to begin eating again and pretty soon I'd be back where I started.  It was a vicious cycle that I couldn't break so eventually I just quit trying.  That's when my weight spiraled out of control.  At 266 pounds, I had one big problem...no pun intended.  I finally came to the realization that, if I was going to conquer this once and for all, I was going to have to commit the rest of my life to changing the way I viewed food and exercise.  I had to change my mentality from a "live to eat" mentality to that of "eat to live."  Now...don't get me wrong...there are days when I live to eat, but it is imperative that it is not an everyday or even a once-a-week mentality.  Those of us with weight problems should be able to identify with drug users, alcohol abusers, and anyone else who struggles with any addiction because that's exactly what we battle...ADDICTION.  We differ from other addicts in that we have to eat to survive.  We can't beat our addiction by not indulging at all, so we have to figure out a way in which to overcome our addiction in a different way.  However, we do have the same battle as other addicts in that we have to make a lifelong commitment to beating the addiction everyday...sometimes numerous times each day.  The only way to beat a food addiction is to commit everyday to overcome the addiction...to recognize the problem and beat it.  When you slip, you get up and keep going.  When you have a good day, be proud of yourself.  BUT...never, ever, ever say that your journey is over because it isn't.  A weight journey is one that will last until the end of your life...the question is, will you battle or not?