Turning Disappointment Into Success

Well, Monday was weigh-in day and after all my planning and counting points and avoiding all the foods I absolutely love, I was UP .2lbs. UP!! Not even, not down which I really expected, but UP!! I know it was only .2lbs, that’s not much, but down .2 would have been huge. I had stepped up on that scale with such confidence; I just knew that I was going to see 1-2lbs down. I mean, I only had turkey, ham and a little broccoli casserole for Thanksgiving. I didn’t eat anything that I dearly loved. The stuffing, the noodles, the deviled eggs—the chocolate cake, I walked away from it all!! I was committed to losing this weight and I was going to be the example that if you eat smart and work hard that you can actually lose weight during the holidays. I failed. I was so disappointed in myself, I was humiliated that I had been so confident in this process and my confidence flew right out the window. It took all I had to fight the tears. I could hardly speak the rest of the night. I had decided that I was not ever going to lose weight and that it was the last time I was going to Weight Watchers.

Well, I got home, ate dinner (yes, I counted the points) and went upstairs and took a hot bath. As I lay there, I started thinking about all the times I had let my disappointment get the best of me. How I allowed disappointment to always strip a little bit of my confidence away, like I wasn’t worth whatever it was I was trying to obtain (relationships, jobs, weight, etc.). I allowed an emotion to control me and what I wanted to obtain. I allowed it. And right then I realized I was not going to ever allow an emotion to control me ever again. For me, sharing (blogging) about my weight-loss journey is therapeutic. I mean, what use would I be to anyone that reads my blog, if I gave up after gaining weight? How could I maybe help that one person that is struggling with the same thing? How would I ever be an example to my son if I gave up after every disappointment?

When Quinn strikes out one day, I will not tell him to quit the team because he was disappointed in the way he played. When Quinn doesn’t score that A that he studied so hard for, I won’t tell him to give up on learning. When Quinn’s heart is broken by his first love, I won’t tell him to ever give up on love. What I will tell him is that life is full of disappointment. That what we do with that disappointment is what makes us successful. Practice more, study more and love more. That is what I will tell him. Never give up. One of my favorite quotes is from Michael Jordan “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Success comes from never giving into your emotions”.

So I gained a little weight. The good thing is I didn’t gain a lot of weight. If I had of eaten all the foods that I dearly loved, I would have most definitely gained a lot more!! According to www.well.blogs.nytimes.com the average overweight person gains apx.5lbs during the holidays. If you take Thanksgiving week to New Years week, that is about 1lb per week. So, being up .2lbs is actually really amazing!! I am an overweight person, actually, I am considered obese, so not gaining that 1lb during Thanksgiving is really good. In the big scheme of things I was actually very successful. My overall weight-loss in 3 weeks is still 8.8lbs!!

So as we approach these upcoming holiday weeks and the holiday treats starting popping up at work and the cookies start being baked at home, I will allow myself to have a treat every now and then but I will continue to focus on a cleaner, healthier food intake. I will start focusing more on my daily activity and I will continue to log and blog. I encourage you to do the same. Focus on what you’re eating and what you’re doing. Replace that candybar with an apple and take a quick walk around the block, or head the mall and walk around. Every little bit will help. Here are a few suggestions that I will use these next few weeks and maybe they will help you too.

• Put your disappointment behind you and use what you learned to try to reach your goal next time.

• Recognize the things you accomplished during the experience, even if you see it as a failure. Remind yourself that your hard work paid off, even if it was not in the way you were expecting.

• Acknowledge your mistakes. Consider the reasons why you didn’t reach your goal, and make an effort to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

• Eliminate unrealistic goals. Sit down and reevaluate your wants and abilities, and formulate a goal that is challenging, rewarding, and attainable.

Just remember, you can’t be disappointed if you didn’t try.

And if you tried that means that you took an action to better yourself.

If you took an action that means that you have it in you

And if you have it in you then you can do it again

And if you do it again, you will succeed!!

Counting Points--One Point at a Time

Well, last night my mom and I went to a Weight Watchers meeting. We joined and we went home motivated (sorta) to start this process. I think we both had this gloom of the monthly price and then the cost of eating healthy and then, that large dark cloud of “Will it work this time”. I had looked at my budget going into this and I knew that it was going to be a hiccup in our already tight bank account. But as I went back and looked at the money we (James and I) were spending monthly at fast food and the daily purchases at the hospital cafeteria (mostly me!!), we were spending way more than the $40 a month fee for WW. I think sometimes we have to spend to get results. I spend $20 a month to go to the gym. I will spend $40 a month to go to WW. I, personally, like the group therapy type meetings. I love hearing others trials and struggles but more importantly, I love hearing their successes. It gives me hope and encourages me to not give up. And if you speak to those that succeed, that keep the weight off, they go to meetings!! So, as long as I can afford to go, I will attend the meetings.

I weighed in last night at 265lbs. I convinced myself that I had not gained weight since my last blog (as I promised myself), I had on clothes and boots and it was late in the day (6pm). The lady said that most weigh in with their shoes on the first visit so that the second visit you may “lose” weight (hint, no shoes=less weight) LOL. My 5% goal is 13lbs. I would love to have that off by Christmas. That is my goal. We shall see. One day at a time!!

 Today has been a struggle with points. I have not had a chance to go to the store and get the fruits and veggies that I need to fill the “voids” of my day. I logged my food and it was scary the point values that the foods I was eating daily actually have. A simple granola bar is 5points. Really?? Its organic and healthy, so I thought. I put it in my desk drawer for an emergency one day, but not today!! WW has changed the way they do their points. It’s not just fat and calories anymore. Its fat, carbs, protein and fiber. It’s more balanced. I like it. It’s making me really plan out these meals. I get 39 points a day. Sounds like a lot, but trust me, it isn’t.  You do get 49 extra points during the week and you get points for activity. I am not going to count my activity points. It will help me to lose more in the long run that way. Weight Watchers allows you to live life, eat every day foods, but makes you think more about what goes in your mouth and when!!

So, tonight, I have date night. We are heading to the theater to see Thor and I will get a small popcorn and my one diet drink a day allotment (I am drinking water through the day so I can have my soda tonight). I have added the points in already. Without butter, the popcorn is actually not bad. We are then heading to the grocery and stocking up on lots of fruits, veggies and frozen WW meals (for lunch). Dinners will be lean meats, veggies and some whole grain pastas and or rice. I am searching daily for ideas and meal plans that we all will love and can be simple. What are your favorite meals and how do you make them healthy and tasty at the same time?