When we started our new life here in the Black Hills in 2013, I wasn’t in the best shape. I weighed 210 pounds and it wasn’t going to end there. I had to do something before my health was in jeopardy.

It seems as if my entire life has revolved around me trying to lose weight. I don’t even remember a time I haven’t thought about losing weight.

Well, this week I have seen some progress.

Over the past two years, I have had a love-hate relationship with the app “Lose It”. I was getting tired of entering in my food every day and not seeing the results I wanted. So I quit the app and went back to eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. When I returned to my app about a month ago, I was at 209 pounds creeping towards the dreaded 210-pound range. I told myself that I was NOT going to be at 210 pounds ever again.

Also, I was noticing a lot more pain with increased weight. I couldn’t use stairs unless it was only 1 at a time like a two-year-old toddler. My back would give out from time to time. And I noticed extra weight in my arms and the dangerous mid-section.

So I began to watch my calorie intake and record it into my app on my phone. I haven’t changed what I eat except for more fruit, watched my sugar intake, and don’t eat anything after supper in the evening.

I also started walking and logging it into my smartwatch every day for the past 2 weeks and my body is responding to the change. Not only just physically changing but mentally changing as well. As of this writing, I am at 199 pounds. 10 pounds down and at least 50 more to go. My app says I should hit my goal weight at the end of April. Just in time for our second sons’ graduation in May (hopefully it won’t be canceled, fingers crossed).

But I also know, from my many, many past experiences with weight loss, that I will hit a plateau. It is usually around 175 pounds. My body puts on the emergency brakes and says, “STOP! No more!”

I have done every type of diet under the sun. Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, Ideal Protein, and diet pills all worked for a moment, and then I hit the plateau. The only one that seemed to work the best was Ideal Protein. But I didn’t like only eating their products and have to cook something different for my family. It was also expensive to maintain.

So this time I am just counting calories, logging my food every day, limiting my portions, exercising daily, and (Gasp!) not drinking as much. I am hopeful that I can get over the plateau that is to come and continue on my journey to being as healthy as I can be for myself, my family, and my students.

Hopefully, my story will inspire others that are going through their own weight loss journey. I will keep you posted on my quest for losing weight and being comfortable in my own skin.

It’s going to take patience, persistence, and hard-work. But it will be worth it in the end.

If any of you would like to comment on how to get over a weight plateau, I would really appreciate the advice.