Understanding why my weight fluctuates so much has been a decades long journey that I am still exploring. Even today, waiting for verification that I have won another DietBet, I find myself craving sugary sweets that I know do not support my health goals. This was one of the tougher DietBets that I have completed - my birthday, a five day convention, and my anniversary - but, I did it in the end because I got serious in the last week, eating lots of protein, vegetables, reducing starches and eliminating dairy and sugar. I feel brighter and more optimistic, as well as happy that I have shed six pounds that I gained over the winter.
I was struck looking at my DietBet profile. In the last four years, I've played 15 games, including two Transformers. While I have won every single bet, if you look at the graph of my journey, it's been down and up and down. Even now, while I'm down 18 pounds overall, I am up 15 from my low. And, I'll be honest, sometimes I've won through shear sweat and food-based cleansing, so I have not been building the consistent habits that I know is what will ultimately lead to maintaining a healthy weight. What I do know is that nothing has motivated me like losing a bet. So, I'm going to keep playing and working on those healthy habits.