Take A Load Off Annie*

Like many people, one of my recurring resolutions every year has been to lose weight. Over and over I say to myself that "this will be the year" and then it ends up not happening. I have lost weight in the past; in 2006 I was down about 25 lbs from my highest ever (at that time) weight so it hasn't been completely impossible but I haven't been able to go below that point or stop myself from blimping up again.

I have grown tired of not finding clothes that look good on me, of sitting with my arms folded not because I am cold or defensive but because I am trying to hide the roll of fat at my waist, of having some of my very best friends never knowing me as anything but a slightly faster moving Stay-Puft marshmallow woman, of running so much slower then I know I can go. So I made up my mind to get truly serious about weight loss this year.

I rejoined Weight Watchers on December 29th and it feels completely different this time. It is almost like a switch flipped in my head. I had done Weight Watchers in the past and knew how the program worked but I hadn't been able to replicate any success doing it at home. Taking the saying "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" to heart I had to change what I was doing and try something new. That something was embracing the program 100%.

Before, I never saw the point of meetings other then to weigh-in once a week. Now I really pay attention to what the leader is saying, what other people have experienced and recognize it for the once a week refocusing that it is meant to be. I read the materials and try to really apply the ideas to my life. I have happily swallowed the Weight Watcher's Kool-Aid (sugar-free of course). Instead of being shy and not speaking in meetings I try to contribute a little bit. Instead of thinking "I am a grown-ass woman! I do not need star stickers when I reach a goal!!"; I think that the "Bravo" stars are no different then getting a good grade on an assignment and I know how much I needed those so I say "Bring those stars on!" I track my foods religiously and aim to fill up on healthy filling foods instead of seeing how many points my crap food choices are.

How is this all working for me? So far, so good. Here are the numbers my friends (and the entire interwebs):

Starting Weight (12/29/09): 185 (the most hippo-esque I have ever been)**
Current Weight (02/03/10): 174.80
Pounds Lost: 10.2

My ultimate weight goal at this point is 130 but I am keeping my resolution goal of losing 40 lbs this year. Forty is a reachable goal for a year, 55 is a bit of a stretch. I am now entering the harder pounds to lose so wish me luck.

*I know it is really "Take a load off Fanny" but this works better for my name and I really don't like the word "fanny" particularly once I learned what it means to the Brits.

**In my defense this was an evening, fully-dressed, lots of salty foods, hadn't dropped the kids off at the pool for a couple of days weight. That has to count for at least 10lbs., right? Or maybe I just shouldn't weigh in while wearing my chain mail underwear.