I was DEPRESSED. After a couple of years of hard work eating better, breaking bad habits, and losing weight (okay...I didn't lose weight for two years...but I lost it for a good six months and then maintained it...) I was falling back into my old ways. Suddenly my clothes were feeling a little on the snug side and the panic was starting to set in. And then I had a truly horrible thought..."I threw away all my fat clothes!" Add all this to the fact that I am an emotional eater, and let's just say it wasn't a pretty picture... And yes, I was actually worried that maybe getting rid of all the fat clothes had been a mistake.
Then I read something that really helped change my thinking. It was a reference to the conquistador Cortes. The story says that he led an expedition of 700 men in eleven ships to Mexico, and upon his arrival, he had the men unload all of their supplies and when they were done they looked back to see all eleven ships burning. Their first reaction was one of anger, as they assumed it must have been their enemies that had done this, but Cortes told the men that this had been his plan, and he had ordered the ships burned. While he didn't know what they would encounter in this new world, what he DID know is that he had eliminated their option of going back and by doing so had greatly increased their motivation to succeed.
Is the story true? I have no idea, really...but I like the idea of it, so I'm going with YES.
Getting rid of the fat clothes was the right thing to do. I did it because I NEVER want to wear that size again. With any luck, in a year I will get rid of the clothes I'm wearing now for a new size again (a smaller one, of course)...and at the point in time when I drop another size, I WILL get rid of them. Going back is not an option.
I'm sure I have other ships that need burning as well...I hope I can do it without hesitating.
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