Ugh. Maintenance. Am I right???

I, like all of us, have struggled with maintaining a healthy and aesthetic body composition since childhood. In 2016 I was 250lbs and hated to look in the mirror. I'm a 6'2" large framed male, and after ending my engagement and having to put down my dog in January, I set off on the Appalachian Trail and lost over 50lbs (Yay!) I came back at 198 with motivation high to keep it off.

I got into lifting, kept to a strict diet, and studied nutrition and diet independently with a religious fervor. I added a mix of fat and muscle over that winter, but generally kept myself to where I wanted to be. I did a hard five week cut in the summer of 2017 for a wedding and looked and felt the best I'd ever felt. I maintained for a while after that, then life happened.

2018 was a shit show, and 2019 has had me changing careers, dealing with a pending potential layoff, and back in school at 40 years old. I'm distracted and stressed and desperately trying to cling to my successes, but some recent photos have shown me how far I've slid again. Therapy eating is back, and I am fighting myself now to regain some control.

I am not necessarily writing for encouragement or sympathy; I know how to do this and I know the cultural, social, and emotional factors I have to overcome. I have won this battle before, and I'm sure I'll win again.

I guess I'm just writing to say to all of us - fighting past and present against a tide of sugar, stress, and a culture that does NOT prioritize health and sustainability - that the fight is noble but never ends.

Keep loving each other, keep fighting, keep encouraging, and never give up!

submitted by /u/quietlifeintheforest
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