Mousie, seems like that's always the case -- you hear nothing forever, then suddenly you get inundated. I'm sending good thoughts your way for your DH and you. It's a tough job market out there, but I don't need to tell any of you that!
Judy, second grade! Oh, good for you! And yes, cracking the 200 mark will be an incredible gift to ourselves, whenever we get there. I'm still aiming for Christmas, and that has given me the motivation I've been needing. I got in a whopping five hours of exercise this week!
Who *is* this person impersonating Jane Fonda, anyway??
Harley, let me give you some absolutely free advice: no matter how embarrassed you get about not being on program, keep coming here anyway. Take if from the original scenic-route gal: coming here regularly (or going to meetings) may not peel the pounds off in record time, but it will go a long ways toward keeping you from going hog wild and gaining it all back. I can honestly say if it weren't for these boards, I would be in a far worse position today. Maybe even right back up to 279 again. You all keep me remembering my goals, even during periods when I just don't feel like remembering them. Stick with us, Harley. And shake it up; do something new to give yourself the kick in the butt or the motivation you need (whichever you find more helpful). For me, it has been two things: going back to meetings, and aiming for 199 wholeheartedly. Both of these things have inspired me and made me remember why I want to do this.
Lin, you make an interesting point about how we set patterns that determine our next steps. The past certainly does affect what choices we make right now. That's why baby steps are so effective. They help us rebuild trust in ourselves by helping us rebuild a chain of successes to build on. "OK, I walked for 20 minutes each day this week. So today, I think I'll go for another walk. Tomorrow I'll aim for 30 minutes."
That's also why each decision we make is so important. A woman in my group made and ate an entire pan of brownies this past week, pretty much within a day or two. It was a stressful week, and that's how she dealt with it. So the next time she runs into stress, she can look back and see what she did in the past -- eat a pan of brownies. Then she'll have to make a decision: does she do the familiar, comfortable remedy for stress and make another pan of brownies, knowing that although it's only temporary relief, it's what she knows? There's a lot of power in what's familiar to us, what we've always done. Or does she do something new, when she's already stressed out? Most of us turn to old behaviors when we're under stress; it's natural. That's one reason it's so important to build new responses to stress and make *those* familiar, so they're easier to fall back on in times of need. It takes going through some discomfort initially, but ultimately we build new habits, new fallback mechanisms that actually help us instead of hurt us. So maybe this week, instead of brownies, she'll go for a brisk walk or take a bubble bath or call a friend.
One of the reasons losing weight is so hard is that we have so MANY habits like these, so many ways of coping that involve food, and we're not just breaking ONE of those habits -- we're having to break EACH ONE. My previous WW leader asked us this: When do you overeat? What leads to your overeating? We came up with a list of at least 50 things. She waved at the list and said "THIS is why losing weight is so hard. You're not just eliminating one or two unhealthy behaviors that you've got accustomed to. You're eliminating ALL these."
She's right. That's why it's a journey, a process, and why zipping through on a diet just doesn't address all those behaviors. As each opportunity turns up, you deal with it. Some behaviors show up every day; some don't show up until halfway through the year and surprise you. And you win some battles and you lose others. The one who keeps fighting wins.
OK, I'm getting long-winded here. The layoff today was strange, and I'm a bit emotional about it all. I'm having to force myself not to worry about money right now. A group of us are going to the unemployment office next week, which should make that more enjoyable. I'm feeling pretty fried, but I do think ultimately this will be good. And hey, I'm still within my points.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
--lauren