Weigh in Day! Sat March 26th

Hello to all my friends!

Well, today was my weigh in day at WW and I am happy to say that it was a good week. I lost 1.2# for a total now of 20.2# lost with WW and 25.5# since I started my weight loss journey last yr. I am .8 lbs away from hitting my 10% weight loss. I was really hoping it would happen this week, but oh well, it will definitely be next week for sure and then some! I am validated by  my baggy clothing and when I looked at myself in the mirror this morning I can really see a difference and I am starting to shrink a bit. I am soooo excited to get into the 180s and I really believe that by Easter I will be there and quite possibly in the mid 180s with diligence & hard work. My sister also had a good week...she lost 2# and she is 2# away from losing her 10%. Our plan is to work hard this week and hit that 10% together next week. It is very motivating to have something to reach for and if you don't have something to help you "stretch" your thinking and your goal, well, you really need to get one and fast! I told my sister this am that I am not stopping until the job is done this time. So many times before I have started a weight loss journey and quit before I ever hit my goal. Matter of fact, I came close to goal once but never completed it...but this time is different. I refuse to live the rest of my life overweight and unhappy with the way I look. I want to wear cute & sassy clothing and I want people from my past to either not recognize me (because I have gotten so thin) or have their jaws drop because they cant believe it. I deserve to finally be happy with myself, My husband deserves to have a wife who isn't obese(hate that word) and my children deserve to have a mom who is a great role model inside & out and I am here to tell you all, look out cuz it IS happening THIS YEAR!!!

So our WW meeting was good today. I always seem to come away with some valuable info and I love to share it with all of you in hopes that it will help someone out there. The topic was how "Setbacks can make you stronger". Many of us have had setbacks in our weight loss journeys. Mainly, they are the yo yo up & downs we experience on the scale but there are others. She asked all of us, "When you have a setback, what have you learned from it"? After working through the emotions that come with a setback,sometimes we can find a way to approach it differently the next time. The most important thing to remember with a setback is, it is not the end of the world and that it is important to just forgive yourself and move on!!Every week, we get a really nice booklet called the WW Weekly and it has lots of tips, as well as inspiration, recipes, etc. So I am going to share a few little tips from it with all of you today.

What can you learn from a Yo yo?
5 ways to get back on track

#1 How do you feel when you've had a slip up or setback?

If your answer is "discouraged" remember....there's no such thing as failure, only feedback. Every lapse can give you valuable info that can steer you to a better choice next time.
Keep an open mind every time you step on the scale. If you lost weight, great! Check your tracker to see what strategies are working for you. If not, do the same thing! Check your tracker to see where you might make changes that will lead to greater success the next week.

#2 What are some past behaviors that hurt your weight loss efforts? Take a moment to think back to a time when you veered off course. Did you overindulge at a party? Nightly snacking? Did you give in to emotional eating? Skip your workouts for a month?
Now consider the what triggered the slip up and look for ways to prevent it from happening again. If you tend to overindulge @ parties, have a snack before going. If chips call you by the bagful, then divvy them up into individual servings or don't keep them in the house if they are a trigger food that you cant control yourself with.

#3 Whats helped your weight loss efforts?
If you see a lower number on the scale, do you say, "Lucky me"! Well, its not luck~ its you developing the habits you need to lose weight and keep it off.  Think of strategies & tools that you used to achieve that loss. Were you exercising more? Shopping for healthy foods? tracking what you are eating more faithfully? Be sure to jot down what works for you and perhaps revisit these tactics to get you back on track.

#4 What can other accomplishments in your life teach you?
Think of times in your life when you scored~ you learned to drive a stick shift, landed a job you really wanted, won an award, threw a fabulous party. What behaviors helped you to reach that goal? Maybe you put extra effort or took the time to research your options or observe techniques of others who have been successful.See how you can encompass some of these methods and dedication to your weight loss efforts. When you feel yourself start to lose steam on your weight loss journey, call to mind the glory of achieving one of your past successes. Feels amazing, right? You have the power to reach this goal too!!

#5 Do you often feel deprived on a weight loss program?
The very concept of "dieting" implies a temporary detour from your normal behavior~ you'll go back to your old familiar lifestyle as soon as you shed this pesky weight. That kind of thinking can set you up for the dreaded yo yo. Instead, dedicate yourself to making smarter, permanent eating choices that are healthy for your mind & body.

I thought this was a great article and I wanted to share. Hope it is helpful to you if you are feeling this way.
Have a happy weekend!!

On my way to the land of 180s!!
Sherri