Reaching Goal

Yesterday I reached my weight goal at Weight Watchers!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Admittedly, it does feel good. (Fair warning: This post is a bit of a brag post. If you don't want to hear me brag about myself, you should definitely stop reading now)

Last August I finally decided to go on a diet- my first diet ever.

I was not excited. But, I saw pictures like this:

 

And, in truth, the picture below is THE picture that forced me to realize my weight was becoming a problem. I look embarrassingly huge next to Ben, and when I saw this picture (which should be one of my favorites with the girls all dressed up and everything) I really was embarrassed about my weight- which I had never been before:

I finally realized I needed to do something about my weight.

Funny how having three kids can leave you with a few extra pounds.

It's also funny how when I looked in the mirror, to me I just always looked like me. Even now, I don't see me as overweight or skinny, I just see Christina. But in pictures I could see that I had a problem. It's a weird psychological thing. 

Thankfully, Ben never said anything about my weight- EVER. When I told him I wanted to join Weight Watchers, and told him the cost, he said, "OK." I figured if his way of telling me I could stand to lose a few pounds was to support me in joining Weight Watchers I was married to a pretty great man.

I had thought that I could lose the weight on my own. I know a lot of people who can. But, a friend told me, "If you could do it on your own, you already would have." She was right.

You can do Weight Watchers on-line only and pay quite a bit less than if you attend the meetings, but I knew I needed the big accountability piece of going to meetings and checking in every week, so I joined the monthly meeting plan.

I know there are a lot of diet programs out there, but I am glad that I chose Weight Watchers (here's where I start to sound like a commercial). Here are some of the reasons why, in case you are interested:

-It is a healthy way to lose weight- you lose between 1-3 pounds a week over a period of several months, and I find that a very healthy way to lose weight

-I don't have to buy their food. In fact, I eat almost all of the same foods that I always ate before, just in a different and healthier way.

-It didn't require any major lifestyle changes. Granted, my life is different. I think about food more. I calculate what I should order before I get to a restaurant. I exercise more. But all of these changes were small and incremental and made over time so they were easy to add to my life.

-Exercise isn't uber-important. I need to be careful with how I write this one. For me, the bulk of my weight loss came from eating right. But, as I got towards my goal weight I realized that more exercise would really help me. So I tried to add more exercise into my day. This was a challenge because it has been so cold this winter so I can't be outside to exercise, and I have three kids. I can't get away to the gym everyday. But, I pulled out my old Zumba videos and I started doing Zumba 1-2 times a week. I found Camille will dance along with me when Claire is in pre-school. Now, I try to do Zumba 4-6 times a week, and with the sun coming out a little more, I try to get more walking in. It isn't a ton-  Zumba only takes 30 minutes a day. But for me it's enough. I don't need to exercise for 2 hours a day, I just need a little movement and to eat right and it works.

-The support system Weight Watchers provides. I like going to the meetings- it was very helpful for me to meet with others who are either on the weight loss journey or have already achieved their weight loss goals and get inspired by them. When I had a bad week, they cheered me on, and vice versa. I made some good friends.

-It's a life-long program. I now have 6 weeks of what is called "Maintenance" where we tweak how much I eat to see the right amount of food I can have to not lose or gain weight. After that, WW membership is free for the rest of my life as long as I attend one meeting a month and stay within 5 pounds of my goal weight.

-They provided me with all the tools I needed to lose weight (some of it I had to pay for, but at least it was available). A few weeks ago Ben and I went to Quizno's. Before we went, I went on-line and figured out exactly what I would order. We got there and were eating, and a woman came in who was quite obese. She ordered the most fattening sandwich on the menu (I knew this because I had just looked it up), plus chips and a soda. I almost started crying because I realized that simply knowing which sandwich to order- and it wasn't a big deal- was meaning that I was losing weight, and she was staying obese. I was so grateful in that moment simply to have the knowledge of what would be the better choice. Knowledge really is power!

-Weight Watchers has been around for a long time. A friend of mine told me today that her great-great Grandma used Weight Watchers to lose weight. This isn't a flash-diet, it is tried and true.

-My mom used it and had success. I figured if it worked for her, it would work for me.

-And, finally, the #1 reason I am glad I chose Weight Watchers: IT WORKED FOR ME!!!!!!!

After 7 months, I have lost 42.6 lbs!

When I started, I wasn't planning on losing that much. But, I kept losing and it really wasn't hard, so I decided to keep going. I'm glad I did keep going- because now I really do feel great! I weigh less than I did in high school, and I feel really good about myself. I can actually fit into size 4 pants! That's unbelievable for me- I haven't done that since I think junior high. I really can't remember when I fit into size 4! I even weigh less than Ben for the first time in our married lives, which is saying a lot because he is super, super skinny.

But it really isn't about sizes and being skinny. It's about feeling good about yourself, and I really do feel great about me! I have a ton more confidence about my appearance, and I no longer feel like a frumpy mom.  I actually want to do my hair and dress nice. I haven't wanted to do that for years!

It's nice to have done something for ME. I didn't do this for Ben, or for my girls, or for anyone else but ME. And it's nice.

I now have to get all new clothes- nothing fits me anymore. Last week we went to The Salvation Army because they were having their 50% off sale. I got 8 shirts, 3 skirts, and 2 pairs of pants for $24.00. I am very much enjoying my new wardrobe, and I don't miss my old clothes one bit!

Here I am in one of my new outfits:

So, now I have to try and maintain this weight loss. I am actually a bit scared for this part. It's almost easier to be actively losing because then I am so concentrated on what I am eating. Now I have to stay just as concentrated, but everyday just because. But, Weight Watchers has given me the tools to be successful, and I just need to follow them!

Here are a couple of obversations about losing weight:

1. I don't feel like I have a ton more energy. Everybody always says they have way more energy since losing weight. I feel like I have three small children and I am simply tired. But, I guess I do have more energy to run around, I'm still just tired, too.

2. I am always cold. Always. I know it is winter and it is just cold, but I always need several layers to be warm. I hope that goes away this summer!