Back in the Saddle Again

Happy Monday, Everyone! Say Cheese!

One thing I have always enjoyed about being on Weight Watchers was the realistic approach to eating and losing weight. When I first started WW, I assumed that they would meet with me and teach me how to reach my perfect goal weight, which was 133 pounds. Why 133, you ask? That is what I weighed when I got married many moons ago. That is what I weighed in the pictures where I look so young and happy and skinny. That, I thought, is what I need to be in order to have a nice looking body again.

Imagine my surprise when I joined WW and they didn't even talk to me about where I wanted to be at the "end" of my journey. Instead, they taught me to focus on losing 10% of my body starting body weight. Since I started at 187.2, that meant I had to lose 18 lbs before the leaders would discuss a more long reaching goal with me. At first I was confused because, didn't they WANT or NEED to know where I expected to be? What's up with that?

I realized that there was a method to their madness. WW figures that if you can lose the first 10% of your body weight, whatever it happens to be, then you are more likely to continue on your program. It might be hard to tackle the 54.2 lbs I wanted to lose all in one chunk, but I could handle 18. After 14 months on the program, 9 of which I didn't stick to it very well and basically stalled my own weight loss, I finally made my first 10% on Friday. I am now 168.8. Yippee! WW gives you a cool keychain with a 10 on it as a reminder of what you have achieved. I worked hard for that keychain, people, and it is happy I am to have it.

Since joining WW, I have become way more realistic in my goals and my view about my body. I will probably never see 133 again in this lifetime. And you know what? That's okay with me. I could possibly reach 133 again if I did nothing but devote myself to diet and exercise and worked out with a personal trainer and hired a chef to cook special meals and forbade my husband from ever bringing pizza into the house and brought on a nanny to raise my children and a maid to clean my house. In that instance, I am sure I could reach 133. But you know what else? I am choosing to live my life, not live to reach an almost impossible goal.

WW says a healthy weight for my age and height is 144. So that's my new long-range goal. Eleven pounds more than what my "ideal" was ain't bad, considering my ideal was fifteen years and two kids ago. My new immediate goal is 160. That is eight pounds away. Well, eight and change. I can do that. I can totally do eight pounds. And after that? I will set a new short term goal and reach that. I am in this for the long haul. Once I lose this weight, I do not want to see it again...and have to re-lose it again.

So here's today's challenge for those of you on the road to a healthy weight. Find a short term goal for yourself. Something that is attainable, but you may have to work a little to get there. Something not so easy that the attaining of it doesn't hold much value. Write that goal down and post it in a place you are sure to see it every day. Repeat to yourself, "I can do this. I can lose **pounds by November **" or whatever your particular goal is.

Remember to be realistic. If you have fifty pounds to lose, you are probably not going to do it by Thanksgiving, barring one of your appendages getting cut off in a freak farming accident. Health professionals say that a healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week. Get a calendar out and figure how much you can lose if you are to diet alone. Then figure if you worked out 3 times a week along with diet, how much could you lose. Then make a plan and stick to it. It does more for our psyche and self-esteem and our will power if we are able to keep the goals we set for ourselves. You will actually be better at this weight loss thing the longer you do it, and the more goals you reach.

Remember that I am pulling for you. You can do this. We can do this. We can have the healthy bodies that God intended for us before the devil invented chocolate chip cookie dough.

Go forth and make a plan! Set a goal! Drink your water! And come do my laundry while you're at it!

If you feel comfortable doing so, tell me what your weight loss goals are. How can I help you? What kind of things would you like to see up on this site? Do you need the accountability of someone semi-nagging you to get you going? Because I totally have a Masters' in Nagging. Just ask my husband and children.

If you act like you're sleeping, my mommy will leave you alone.