Some Lessons Are Best Learned the Hard Way

252.0 pounds. + 0.5 pounds today, - 81.0 pounds overall, - 0.0 pounds toward my goal of losing 10 pounds in January. 

I didn’t follow my plan yesterday, and the scale made that very clear this morning.

I gained weight and found myself right back at my starting weight for the month. That moment could have easily sent me down the discouragement path. The “what’s the point” thoughts. The frustration. The temptation to loosen the reins even more.

But instead of letting that happen, I’m choosing to learn from it.

Because some lessons really are best learned the hard way.

So what was the mistake?

For the past three weeks, I’ve added weight training to my routine. I’m still walking in Zone 2 for 30 minutes, and now I’m lifting weights on top of that. Both workouts happen after work, around 5 p.m.

And here’s the predictable result of doing both of those things back-to-back: I get hungry. Really hungry.

Not “a little snack would be nice” hungry. More like “my body wants everything in sight” hungry.

Last night, I did what I already know doesn’t work for me. I ate after 5 p.m.

That’s a problem because when I eat after 5 p.m., something switches off in my brain. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say something switches on. Once I take that first bite, there’s no clear stopping point. One bite turns into another, and another, and before I know it, I’m eating until I physically can’t eat anymore.

Last night wasn’t as extreme as it has been in the past, but it was still too much. And the scale reflected that this morning.

Here’s the lesson I’m taking away from this: my workouts are driving my hunger more than I fully accounted for, and that means I need to be extra diligent about protecting my boundaries.

For me, that boundary is simple but non-negotiable. I cannot take the first bite of food after 5 p.m. Because for me, one bite leads to a whole feast.

This isn’t about willpower. It’s about self-awareness.

I’ve learned something important about how my body responds to exercise, timing, and food. And learning this now gives me a chance to adjust instead of repeat the same mistake again and again.

I could get discouraged about being back at my starting weight. Or I can recognize that this experience just gave me clarity. Clarity about what works. Clarity about what doesn’t. And clarity about what I need to do differently going forward.

Today, I’m back on plan. Not angry. Not defeated. Just wiser.

Some lessons are best learned the hard way. And if this one helps me avoid bigger setbacks down the road, then it was worth learning.