Is that it never really goes away.
Sure, you spend a chunk of time trying to lose weight - focusing on calories in, calories out, getting enough exercise, trying to get that number on the scale to move down - until one day, all of your hard work pays off and you get to the place that you want to be your new normal. And what happens when you get there? Is there a celebration, do you get to add cake and frosting and soda and chips back in to your daily food intake?
Well, kind of. Because, really, if you did a sensible weight loss effort, you may not have ever taken those foods completely out of your rotation, because as soon as you put a food off limits you crave it more. I see this with my husband all the time. He decides he wants to lose weight and tells me to only prepare "boiled chicken breasts and salad" for him - and to keep the cookies and ice cream out of the house. It goes well for a few days, and then he's back into the treats. You have a better chance at succeeding if you allow the occasional treat - within reason.
But what happens if you've been successful with weight loss and exercise, and you can handle the treats, because your exercise habit helps you to keep your weight down - and then something happens to keep you from exercise? You have an injury, life tosses curve balls your way - things happen to keep you out of the gym. What happens then?
You do the best you can do, even if it means you go back up a pants size. You try to eat healthy, you stop obsessing over the number on the scale, and you recognize that long term weight loss is just that. Long Term. Which means that it's going to last your entire life, and life is going to throw you plenty of curve balls. So you learn to duck the high ones, swerve from the lower ones, and pick yourself up if one manages to hit you.
And you keep on trying. Because, really, what's the option?
