A few of you have e-mailed me recently asking me questions about how long it took me, etc. I figured if I'm going to answer a bunch of questions, I might as well use my blog to answer them!
When did I start? February 2003. I walked into the Methodist church in Avon to go to the Weight Watchers meeting with my mother. One of the lowest points in my life. In my eyes, going to ask someone for help with weight loss meant that I was a failure, right? I met Bev Lusk, my WW leader and she changed my life forever. When I reached lifetime, I told her I wanted to become a leader but because my kids were so young, it was not the right time. When I got back involved in WW, I heard she retired. Now that I am on the WW staff, I found her e-mail address. I can't wait to let her know that I finally took the leap!
How long did it take me? 18 months to lose 84 pounds. Did I lose every week? NO! Did I follow the program to a tee? NO! We are human and not perfect. If I was perfect, I wouldn't have been overweight, right? I got within 5 pounds of goal and got pregnant with my daughter. After that pregnancy, I lost 65 pounds and reached lifetime in March 2006. Special thanks to my daughter for being an excellent nurser, it is like having a treadmill on your chest.
What do I like about the program? Because it is all about portion control and listening to our bodies. Listening when we are full. Realizing that a plate at a restaurant is about 3 portions worth of food. Plus, WW has you eating real food and not something pre-packaged you get in the mail shipped in a box. If we want to indulge, we do it, but in a portion size. Don't deprive yourself. It's about making smarter choices. When you look at portion sizes, you realize that as humans, we don't need that much food. And when we do make smarter choices, we get a ton more food than someone whose choices are not so good. I also like the meetings. If you want to stay motivated, go with a friend. Be accountable for each other. But go to the meetings. You will learn a lot from your leaders and others in the group! Sympathy loves company!
How did I know it was time? I suppose you are asking me what was my breaking point. Honestly, it was having kids. I saw other mothers around me with children who were overweight and couldn't do anything with them. Play with them on the playground, they couldn't even go down a slide with them. I swore I would never be that mother. I also know how awful kids are to one another and I did not want to be the fat mommy who all the kids made fun of. I vowed to never have my kids be the butt of any jokes.
Did I have that "I know what I need to do but I just can't bring myself to do it" feeling? Hell yeah! I was in denial for a long time. Even before I got married, I had allowed myself to accept that maybe this was what I was destined for. I am now 40 pounds thinner than I was when I got married. But again, having kids puts things into perspective. Hell, I was taking blood pressure medicine at 28. Sooner or later, I was on the road to diabetes, I'm sure of it. How was I going to be a good parent if I couldn't take care of myself?
Isn't 89 pounds a lot of weight? Yes. Listen, I was over 200 pounds. You do the math. But I didn't let that large amount of weight discourage me. It doesn't come on overnight, so you are not going to lost it overnight. It takes time. "The key to change is to let go of fear". You can't let fear of failure hold you back or the fear that it can never be done. So, I worked on 5 pound goals. Dividing it up in little goals helped keep me motivated along the process.
So I'm asking you: What is holding you back?
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