The 2nd Mountain

"We cannot lower the mountain, we can only elevate ourselves" - Todd Skinner

So some people believe that when you lose weight, you have achieved the goal; you have reached the mountaintop; you are finished. Well, I hate to dispel that rumor but it really isn't the 1st mountaintop that is the ultimate goal, it is the 2nd mountaintop that one must achieve. That is the goal of maintaining that weight loss - continuing it - keeping it up and not careening down the mountain full speed and becoming, ultimately, bigger and more unhealthy then when you began.

I definitly feel that the first goal - the weight loss - is achieved. Any more weight that is lost after this point is just simply gravy on the proverbial mound of mashed potatoes (fat free of course!). At this point I am not 'trying' to lose weight, just simply trying to be healthy. Of course, with that being said, I had 2 glasses of wine last night, two pieces of pizza and a bowl of regular ice cream (gasp).

But in the back of my mind is always the fear of gaining all of this weight back...of never achieving that ultimate goal of weight loss maintenance. Of never ever staying where I am the most healthy, the most happy, the most energetic, etc. And this isn't just a simple little fear, I think about it all the time. I am all for a treat now and again...but I will look at food and think to myself, 'I can't eat that because if I do I might start gaining weight again' - There are some things I may never allow myself to eat again! But please don't think I don't treat myself, cause if you noticed in my previous paragraph, I definitly do! :)

I just feel like when climbing the mountain and getting to the top, sometimes we forget that there's a bigger mountain, waiting to be climbed. That second mountain is bigger because it's for the long-haul; for life. It sits there looming ahead of us and it's more difficult because you can't climb that mountain with any harness or anyone balayed with you, as you usually do with the first mountain. The second mountain is covered with dangers like winters stuck inside with nothing to do but eat; cozy foods like creamy soups and brownies fresh and warm from the oven; hot yummy chilli for dinner with loads of cheese on top, etc. And, this is what I am truly afraid of...because, quite honestly, I am not a very good mountain climber! :)