As of today I am 60 pounds lighter than I was last November. That's when I joined Weight Watchers Online and began to cut myself down to size. I've done WW and similar programs before--in fact I lost 70 pounds after having my two daughters. As any of you who have also battled your weight know, the biggest challenge is not losing the weight but keeping it off. I've had a couple of epic FAILS in that area, so my challenge now is not to FAIL maintenance again.
Looking back now, I can't explain exactly why it all finally "clicked" for me. I meant to loose the weight before our trip to Israel last year knowing that there would be a lot of walking which would be much easier for me (and my bum left knee) with less weight. But I didn't do it then and certainly regretted it!
I owe my success to date to the unflagging support of my husband and family, Weight Watchers and Dream Dinners.
El Jefe, who has never had a weight problem and loves dessert, never complained when I quit baking and instead gave him pies and cakes from the grocery bakery. He was always agreed to eat out where I could order food that fit my program, and encourages me to buy new clothes to fit my new figure! And sixty pounds later, that means a whole new wardrobe.
Daughter Babs who gained weight in college then lost it and has kept it off was a consistent cheerleader who suggested recipes and tips for eating out that really helped, too. She took me shopping and made me try on styles I would never have considered before but love now. Daughter Portia was either losing pregnancy weight or pregnant again and so was a very supportive fellow traveler on the diet path.
It would be much more difficult to stay on the program without this kind of helpful support and accountability. I'm not as forthcoming as Julie who announced her intentions on her blog at the beginning as a way of keeping herself accountable. Setting up an external check like this is a key to success, whether you do it privately with family and friends or publicly on Facebook and Blogger. Whenever I kept my resolution to diet to myself, I went off the program very quickly.
Now that I've started blogging about this, I see it will take several posts since even interested Gentle Readers won't follow something too long. Stay tuned for more, if you're interested.
But next--back to our regularly scheduled BSD Blogging.
8 comments:
YAY for you!!! That is wonderful and I so appreciate you sharing. It helps me.
Yay - well done that woman. As another 'woman of substance' [well slightly less substance now] I know how hard it is. I'm aiming for 140lbs all up and now have lost 82lbs. Isn't it a great feeling getting your life and energy levels back!
Congrats!! :D
thanks for this! What are Dream Dinners, please??
It's been a long while since I've commented but I have to say congratulations to you! Way to go!
I need to get serious again about taking off more weight and this is encouraging!
OK ... now I need to get serious ... especially since my left ankle is complaining about the weight (sigh).
Well done! You have inspired me. I, too, have suffered from the "homing pigeon" sense of lost weight. Over the past 20 years--when my metabolism really changed--I have lost over 150 pounds, total. Every time, those little devils found their way back to their roost!
I finally have time to give these posts the attention they deserve and, as I said on FB, I am in awe.
I have some real issues with food, but I don't know why I think I can't do this, especially since during times of stress the pounds just fall off. Obviously they are willing to depart.
Did you have times when you gained some back, or was this a year of slow and steady loss?
It was a slow and steady loss, Robin. I gained a few pounds back a few times when traveling or eating out too frequently. But i went back on the plan and it came off again and I kept losing. It's important not to give up because a few pounds come back.
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