Living the Good Life

Who would have thunk it? Six years of maintenance under my size small belt (Mother's Day was my Goaliversary) and here I am doing things like waking up to run 8 miles (yep on a 100 degree day even!), eating a healthy breakfast (never ate breakfast unless someone was offering me Cocoa Puffs or a donut) and leading a Weight Watchers meeting. Next I stop at the community center to see if it is open in case I decide to stop later on to practice my routine in the dance room which was followed by a trip to the store to pick up bags of salad (not a day goes by without me doing this), mushrooms (another strange addiction -- I dip them in salsa like chips), carrot chips, sliced turkey, La Tortilla wraps, egg substitute and lots of balance bars (breakfasts for an active day when I don't want stuff bloating my belly before a workout).

Given I was hungry when I made it to the market. It would have been just as easy to drive through Mc Donald's on the way home, but I didn't. I actually enjoy and crave my tasty filling salad-wich-wraps.

I forgot to mention how good it felt to pull on pantyhose (yes, they make us wear them to WW meetings in LV of all places, but I am a good girl so I do) and slip on my dress and zip it without any drama or tears.

So I am leading the best meeting of the week. Nothing beats a Saturday meeting and this bunch is the most upbeat group... so much so that they lead themselves. In the middle of the celebrations a member announces how much he HATES Weight Watchers. (Now he is a little mentally challenged so much so that he may not always control what comes out of his mouth, but his thoughts and speach are clear so I take the challenge seriously.)

Whoa! The whole room went silent. So I did what any good leader does... enlist the group for support. Of course they all jumped in and helped out and even suggested he stay after so I could go over the Core (he HATES to track).

Then the good time suddenly became work. I didn't want to bring down the whole room. After a flurry of problem solving I went directly into direct/redirect mode until I proceed with celebrations and send them on their way after a mention of the topic and motivational close.
Meantime I had two new members sitting there probably wondering what they were getting into. My energies were literally divided until this young man left with his caretaker.

Ever since then I couldn't get him out of my mind. It has been so long since I struggled like he is. I have my moments, but the show is mostly on for me now. But as a youth who was told she was OBESE by her doctor, I resented being told I had to lose weight and to eat a certain way. I know. It took me many years and several tries before I "got" that I truly had to change my thinking forever. It can take a while to go from deprivation to land-o-plenty mindset, from can't to can.

Another new member voiced her concerns about all the changes she would have to make to lose weight. Again, if we kept doing the same thing we would stay the same.

Sigh. Can't I just take my magic wand and wave it over everyone and make their fat go away. They will all be transformed into program-loving running fools like myself. But alas this is reality. Weight loss doesn't happen on its own without working through the process.

Between you and me this member left me almost speechless. I don't have all the answers. But I am danged proud of my new lifestyle and hope just by living it others will pick up on the vibe and start feeling capable and worthy of the benefits themselves.

I must remind myself I am totally justified in wanting to eat healthy, wear cute tiny clothes and run down the street without extra weight on my bones. This is my motivation. Each person must find one's own to burst through the barrier of their own deprivation mindset.

Today I ran 8 tired miles (these early mornings are killing me -- did I mention I hate summer?) Yeah me!