Although it’s been many years, completing my first P.F.Chang’s 1/2 Marathon was, and still is very emotional! It represented a major milestone in my life long battle with obesity. My heart still pounds when I reflect back to that freezing, Arizona morning! I cried as I crossed the finish line, never thinking a marathon would be something I’d ever complete in this lifetime!! I’ve accomplished a lot of firsts since then and at 50, I am extremely proud to be in the best shape of my life!
Although I have always been overweight (even as a child), it didn’t impact my life until well into my 30’s. It simply wasn’t a problem, although my mother was concerned and continuously made it a point to let me know (each time I ate something in her presence that didn’t seem like a good idea to her). Even so, I was still a repeat offender when it came to joining weight loss programs. Over my young adult years, I’d join for various reasons (usually at the suggestion of someone else), lose 10 pounds and that would be the end of it. I didn’t take it serious until I was slapped in the face with a health challenge!
At 39 I joined Weight Watchers for the fourth and final time! I approached it with a reality check (I had to actually FOLLOW the plan the way it was actually designed, not the JT way), a plan (don’t give up, no matter how long it takes), and focused intensity. I lost 60 pounds and made Lifetime in 2.5 years. For those 2.5 years, I never missed a meeting. When I traveled, I did my research and found the group closest to my destination. I have maintained a 70-pound loss for 11 years.
What was the key? I finally realized food is an addiction (for me). I was familiar with various other support groups and remembered a common theme was encouragement to attend weekly meetings for the rest of their lives. Once an addict, always an addict. It just made sense that I needed to do the same for my food addiction. If I could do this on my own, I would have done it already.
11 years later I still love my favorite foods, ( cheeseburgers, fries and mac n cheese to name a few!) as much as I did when I started my journey 13 years ago. For that reason, I still attend weekly meetings and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. Just some food for thought, for ZERO Smartpoints value!
juantetcts 