Today I saw my doctor for that follow up I mentioned yesterday. And everything went really well. She wants me to continue on my 1/2 dose of blood pressure medicine and agrees that if things keep progressing as they have been, I may be off the meds completely in about 3 months!
Good news! But at the same time, I found myself a little disappointed that she wasn't "overjoyed" at my success. She was happy for me, to be sure. But the level of excitement I was hoping for wasn't there. And it hit me that I've been wanting a jump-up-and-down reaction from a lot of people. Some of my closest friends haven't even mentioned the changes that I'm seeing in my physical appearance. With the exception of my sister and my best friend, that is! What I've come to see is that I have been longing for outward praise and recognition for my efforts and it's not happening. But really, who among us is brave enough to say "You've been losing weight!"?
So the work now for me is to remind myself that I'm doing this to feel better and live longer, not for other people to boost my ego. But every now and then it is nice to hear the words, "You are really looking great...good for you!" and there's nothing wrong with wanting to hear that.
The inward motivation is what must sustain me not only through the process of losing weight but of pursuing wellness for the rest of my life. And once the external transformation is complete, the comments of support and praise will naturally fall off too. So having my goal and "why" in place now will carry me through all the changes and challenges I will go through on this path I have chosen.
You are absolutely correct that it has to be inward. No one is being insensitive or intentionally ignoring your progress. They are just simply so wrapped up in their own lives. The praise will come and sometimes it will be when you least expect it. My Dad never did notice my progress until someone else basically smacked him upside the head. Men seem to be particularly prone to not noticing ANYTHING. What? The trash needs to be taken out?! The floor needs to be vacuumed?! I didn't make the bed?! Suddenly, one day my Dad commented on how different my hands look. Completely unexpected. It will come.
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