Cathrines Corner: Here Is Why You Should NOT Quit

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Editor’s note: Cathrine Shinn lost 100 pounds using Diet-to-Go, and has managed to maintain that weight loss for a year.* This year, we’ll regularly catch up with Cathrine to learn her tips and tricks for weight loss, healthy living and more!

Current weight: 226

Goal: Maintenance

There’s often a strong, albeit surprising, emotion associated with losing weight. It’s called fear.

That’s something Cathrine knows well.

“I’m approaching one year of maintaining 100-pound weight loss. I’ve had that in the back of mind, and I struggle with that fear every day,” Cathrine said. “I’ve been successful losing weight, but until now, I’ve never been successful maintaining it.”

The roots of that go back to Cathrine’s childhood. Cathrine, like many others, struggled with weight her whole life.

“My mother started me on my first diet when I was 10. It was very public,” she said. “You’d have to stand in the front of the room and get weighed in front of everyone. There was a lot of shame involved.

That carried into her adulthood in an unexpected way: When people started noticing changes in the way Cathrine looked, she would begin sabotaging herself.
 

“That’s when I’d let go and the weight would start to creep back on,” she said. “Every time that happens, I feel like a failure. It’s very easy to get caught up in that and let that go.”

In essence, Cathrine gave up and found herself in a pattern of quitting that cycled over and over again throughout her life.

We caught up with Cathrine to learn the 5 ways she finally overcame that fear and made this the time she did not quit.
 

1) I remember this is not about how I look: It's about health.

“Being in my 50s, mental and physical health have become significantly more important for me. When I was teens, exercise wasn’t about health, it was about looks. But now I know it’s about being healthy -- that I’m going to live longer and be more healthy.”

2) I channel my memories.

“There are daily things … like going to a restaurant and thinking, can I fit in that booth …or is the chair sturdy enough to hold my weight?" I find myself still appreciating I can go to an event and not feel like I have to navigate it to ensure I don’t embarrass myself...and appreciate what a difference that’s made. It’s remembering that and celebrating this.
 

3) I use visual reminders.

I used to never purposefully be in a picture for like 10 years. I hated what that work. I purposely took myself out of photos. … What I used to look like was pruely unhealthy. Going back and reminding myself what that felt like. I don’t ever want to be there again. It’s not about do I look good. It’s about do I look healthy?
 

4) I remind myself it’s just logical.

“There’s no benefit to giving it up. I’m not doing anything for myself by giving up the things I’ve developed that led me to being successful.”
 

5) I inspire others.

“I’ve had so many people notice what’s happening to me and ask questions. When they listen to me, I’ve had a lot of friends who’ve taken pieces of what’s been successful for me and doing it -- like logging things with a fitness app. Or building exercise into their routine. For me, the gym is something I hate. I do not find going to the gym amazing. It’s something that’s a chore that I have to do to set an example for my friends and family. It’s not my friends supporting me, but I’m sharing what I’m doing to support them."

What’s something you do to stop yourself from quitting? Share in the comments below!

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Author: Caitlin H
Diet-to-Go Community Manager

Caitlin is the Diet-to-Go community manager and an avid runner. She is passionate about engaging with others online and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. She believes moderation is key, and people will have the most weight loss success if they engage in common-sense healthy eating and fitness.

 

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