I ran into an old friend the other day--a friend who had been motivated watching me work hard to lose weight, and had lost 25 lbs herself! She confessed to me that she'd gained every single lost pound back this summer, plus a few more.

Then she finishes her confession by saying "but weight just doesn't melt off me like it does you." Hello?!?! MELT OFF?!? Hardly!

I WISH the weight had melted off me. That would've been sweet. Nothing melted--it was hard, ass-busting work every single day for 18 months. I never lost more than 1 lb per week. I worked hard to change my diet, and I exercised daily.

Now that I've met my goal weight (and then some!), I still continue to workout daily. Exercise is my Happy Pill. It makes me feel fantastic, physically & mentally. I need it daily to function better. So there you have it.

And as for the food--those issues will ALWAYS be with me. I never changed my diet so drastically that it was a "diet" instead of a "healthy lifestyle change." Certain foods I love, so I didn't give them up--I just tried to tweak them the best I could, to make it healthier. (For example--buying Baked Cheetos instead of regular full-fat Cheetos...or using less cocoa mix in my morning coffee).

I still aim for eating healthy most of the time. Saying I eat great all of the time would be a big fat whopper of a lie. I don't. Nobody does. Everyone needs an indulgence now & again. And as a woman with monthly hormone swings--I can't resist the salt & chocolate combination for a few days every month. My only challenge, since I've had a hysterectomy & don't get periods anymore, is to determine when that hormone urge is going to strike!

So nope...no melting off of pounds for me. It was a long, tiring road to travel--and with dedication & determination, I succeeded! And you can too! The trick is to realize that it is a LIFELONG commitment--not a "diet" or something with an end date. There is no end.

I will continue to focus on exercising & eating healthy--every single day. Forever. If not, I'll be like my friend & mindlessly gain the weight back. And that is something I definitely don't want. Not gonna be an "Oprah" here, thank you very much. :)