Progress, not perfection

I read a cute saying today. Don't know who said it, so I can't credit the originator:

"The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends."

I love that. It is, unfortunately, all too true. At the low carb forum where I hang out, there's been a discussion today about losing weight for a second (or more) time, and losing weight as an older person as opposed to a younger person. I have to say, this weightloss journey I have been on for the past year has been a slower, rockier trip than I enjoyed in my younger days...

However, it has also been a calmer, more focused, less frenetic journey. I feel very blessed to have found the low carb way of life and to have made the decision to live the rest of my life this way. That just makes things so much easier. I don't have to wonder how I'm going to eat tomorrow or next week or next year. I don't have to obsessively read the newest magazine article that promises I'll lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Best of all, I don't have to live with regret that food controls me. That is such a feeling of freedom and peace.

Even on days when I "veer from the road" (okay, am I taking the "journey" metaphor too far?), I don't panic. It doesn't mean I've failed; it doesn't mean I can't continue eating low carb; it just means I allowed myself to indulge in a food that is out of the ordinary. What a great feeling! I am not perfect, never will be, but as I always say, the goal is progress, not perfection.