Taken about two weeks after I joined Weight Watchers July 2010 |
Eleven months and 104 pounds later June 2011 |
I had been thinking for awhile that something needed to change but I had no idea what that change needed to be. Every week I kept saying (to myself because I was afraid of admitting it to anyone else) that I was going to start a diet but I never committed to it. When my friend, Sheri, called me and asked me to join with her I was reluctant. I am tremendously thankful that she was so persistent! When I joined I found out that I could still eat and drink my favorite things. This was extremely important to me because I needed to learn how to cook, portion control and even eat out all while staying on plan.
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The group that I joined was also a huge part of my success. There was one member, Diane, in particular that really kept me motivated. We joined Weight Watchers on the same day and we both had over 100 pounds to lose. I used Diane hitting milestones as motivation -- if she could do it then there was no reason I couldn't. As much as I always wanted my weight loss to be a downward trend I realize that my weight gain never was and that I needed to learn my weight loss lessons. Those lessons included learning what triggered unhealthy eating and drinking and finding ways to manage that.
Half Marathon #5 - April 2014 |
Seriously - this medal is ENORMOUS. And Heavy. I (obviously) love it so much! |
Now, if you think that reaching your goal weight means you get to relax a little bit you might be slightly delusional. Early on in my journey that's exactly what I thought but as I got closer and finally got to maintenance I realized that it is just as hard as losing the weight. However, I realized that one thing that made weight loss (and maintenance) hard was focusing on the things that I used to eat rather than all the things that I've developed a serious passion for over the last four years. This is another one of the reasons that I think gradual weight loss is so beneficial because it gives you the time to figure out what you like so you can truly enjoy it. I also think that as we reach our goal weight and maintenance that we celebrate less. There are no more milestones to reach or goals to hit so we have to celebrate other things. Like getting giant medals! Being able to celebrate our accomplishments certainly keeps me going and gives me something to look forward to!
What about you? How do you celebrate?
In the name of celebrating, one of my most favorite companies in the whole world is letting me give away some fantastic products! Have you seen/tried the wonderful products from Bondi Band? The prize pack that we're giving away includes 3 headbands and a pair of compression socks. Go, register now! And tell all your friends!!
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You look so amazing! And I love that medal!!
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