I did the last challenge 6ish months ago and I had great success, but I still had more weight to drop. I stayed motivated for a while and continued to drop, then the holidays happened. I did well because I stayed with these same wonderful people who continue to motivate while I was working out, but I wasn’t dropping weight. Fast forward to January when I was hoping to be where I wanted to be and not “need” to do the challenge, but here I was at the same weight. I started to get mad/sad/complacent and I told myself I was at a good weight, I could maintain this for the rest of my life and not have to make “sacrifices” with my best friend, food. This is my mental game justifying my unhealthy habits (my biggest struggle in life). After the 7th person asked if I was going to join this next challenge I finally gave in, perhaps these people think I need to lose more weight? So I joined, but with different goals this time. Of course I wanted to win and drop weight and change my body, but my goal was to change my mind. I wanted to get to that place at the end of the challenge where food was no longer my best friend and I would use it as fuel.
By the end of the challenge my mental game was stronger, but a constant battle. In the middle of the challenge I had stopped caring as much and I had justified why I could stay at this weight and not have to work so hard, but that was when I was only talking to me, myself, and I. Between those 3 and my best friend food we decided what Monica could do, but I needed support I didn’t know I needed. Talking with others, Tiffany, my husband, my friend Katelyn who was now on this journey with me I overcame the mind block, THIS time. I needed to be strong. I needed to be able to do this on my own. I needed to be able to make the right decisions when no one was watching. But I learn through this challenge that I personally can’t do it on my own. I need the support and I need to tell someone when I’m struggling. This independent girl really needed people rather than doing it all on my own.
Don’t get me wrong I still lost weight because I told myself to workout harder, I told myself not to put that piece of my kids leftovers in my mouth. But the time I wanted to not run, the times I wanted to eat the food I would tattle on myself or I would talk out my struggles on the hard days. I work every day on making this a lifestyle change for my kids and my family, but it’s still hard. I still need help, but now I KNOW I need help rather than being stubborn and figuring it all out myself I use my village to support me.
Thank you all for working together to get people healthy. Thank you Tiffany for doing this challenge. You are changing people’s lives one day at a time!! Thank you to all the bootcamp instructors for staying motivated throughout the challenge to keep us motivated!!