My journey begins....

So, I think about this term a lot when people ask me what I am doing to get healthy.  I've narrowed it down to the 4 W's (dubs); Working out, Will Power and Weight Watchers.  I have lost 56 pounds to date.  I began my journey on September 15, 2011.  I will never forget that date because it was the first day of the rest of my life.  The day I started Weight Watchers.  I have tried 100 different styles of weight loss and none of them worked (as you can see in earlier posts). 

It all started when I went to Walmart to try on a pair of pants for work and the size I normally fit in easily did not even go past my hips.  I pretty much vowed to never try on clothes again at that point, but since I have to wear clothes, I decided to call my best friend, Nadina, who lost weight on Weight Watchers and ask her how the points worked.  She gave me the formula but really encouraged me to go to the meetings.  I remember thinking, "yeah right!  I will be so embarrassed and I don't want to have some crazy, Richard Simmons wannabe telling me I can do it, like sweatin' to the oldies"  So I yeah, yeahed her and tried to do the points on my own.  She didn't let me yeah, yeah her.  Instead, she looked up the meeting and called me to inform me of where and when to go and what times she knew I'd be able to.  It was a Thursday night and right up to a half hour before, I was making every excuse in the world not to go.  I was pulling into my drive way on Thursday night at 5:40 and guess who calls me to see if I was going to a meeting?  Yes, Nadina.  All I could think of was, Seriously?  She is not going to let me blow this off, is she?  So I told her I was going and I actually went.

The meeting started at 6:00.  I got there and I was so embarrassed.  I told them I just want to check it out, but I was NOT signing up yet.  So, I stayed for the meeting and I really liked the leader, Maria.  She was engaging, funny, so kind and she was extremely motivating.  Before the meeting ended, I joined.  I paid for 10 weeks in advance.  I got weighed...oh the weigh in was bad.  I was way heavier than I even thought was possible.  I cried.  In fact, I cried all the way home.  Of coarse I called Nadi right away and she was so supportive.  She encouraged me and told me I can do this.  I needed to hear that.  I needed her nudge.  Ok, it was a full on push...but I thank God for that push every single day.

When I got inside the house, I was still crying.  I went to Andrew, my husband, and told him this is a matter of life and death and I told him how much I need his support and his help.  He agreed and has been very helpful and extremely supportive.  I have so many amazing people in my life.  I feel like one of the lucky ones.  I lost 11.4 pounds in my first week and I was sold!  After that meeting, I was crying..again, but these were tears of pure joy and a little bit of disbelief.  I remember calling Nadina and my sister Chrissie and just bawling my eyes out.

The next week was not quite as successful.  I lost less than a pound.  But it wasn't discouraging.  It just made me re-evaluate the points I was eating.  I realized eating grilled chicken, red potatoes and veggies are way better and more satisfying than eating 3 taco's even though it's the same in points.  Once I changed my points to healthier points, I started losing a minimum of 2 pounds per week. 

Then I started adding activity.  I started out doing very little.  Parking farther at the store, walking a bit faster at the mall, etc.  I remember when I first started working out with an aerobics video, I could only do 10 minutes without getting tired.  Once the weight started coming off, I increased it little by little until I was easily doing 45 min to an hour.  I walk a lot!  I started walking my kids to school, which is huge for me cause I used to get tired walking down my drive way (that is not an exaggeration).  The day I walked my first mile, made me so happy.  Me, a mile?  That's just crazy talk.  Not anymore...I walked 2 miles yesterday and it felt amazing!  It's funny really.  I used to think of ways to get out of walking anywhere.  Now I look for opportunities to exercise.  If I am waiting for a friend to pick me up, I say, just pick me up down the street, I'll be walking. 

I no longer view myself as a lazy person and I like the person I'm becoming.  The "improving" me is excited to go play with her kids at the park, go places, do things.  I don't sweat anymore (unless I'm supposed to) which is a big deal for me, cause I would sweat just sitting in a chair.  I also stopped taking blood pressure pills when I hit 50 pounds...Yeah!

It took me 100 days to lose 50 pounds!  I still can't believe it.  That's where the willpower came in...for sure.  I choose not to eat cheesecake and I choose not to eat french fries.  The best part is, I know I can if I want to.  That's what I love about Weight Watchers.  You do not deprive yourself.  I am the biggest advocate for them.  Remember how much of a skeptic I was at the beginning of this story?  Well now Thursdays and my meeting are my favorite day of the week!  I have been consistently losing 2-3 pounds or more per week and I haven't gained an ounce.  I will keep on going.  I love how I feel.  I love looking at my improving body in the mirror.  I love all new energy I have.  But most of all I love that I am going to be able to watch my kids grow up and be an active part of their lives for a long, long time.