Who's a Lifetime Member?

 

ME!!!

After 43 weeks of losing, and 6 weeks on maintenance, at my weigh in today I was officially "Eligible for Lifetime"! You have no idea how fast I ran home and updated my account. WhoooHooo! I have been waiting for this day, and it took me 3 weeks short of a year to get here.

I'm not sure that last May when I joined I really truly believed it would happen. But I am telling you - if you follow the plan, it works! The key for me was the group of great girls I met at mt Sunday morning meetings. My biggest inspirations have been my leader, Jackie, and my friends Melissa and Penny. Jackie is a no brainer - one meeting with her and you will never want another leader! I know I mentioned this before, but my original meetings started out as Monday evenings. But, when the second meeting fell on Memorial Day (a Monday), I needed to find a different meeting to attend that week. Well boys and girls, I have never been to a Monday night meeting since! Jackie had me captivated and entertained from the minute I walked in the door, and got the "Brussels Sprouts" talk (a week has not passed that I have not roasted a big pan of Brussels sprouts). If you know Jackie, you know what I mean. THANK YOU!! I don't think I would have been successful with anyone else. I wanted to make you proud.

Then there's Penny. Energy in jeans, she is! She walks at least 7 miles a day, and 4 of them before breakfast! On my first 5K walk, Penny stayed right by my side, and kept me talking - which kept my mind off the fact that I expected to collapse any minute and be hauled off by paramedics, and then prominently featured on the evening news as the poor woman who collapsed during a local 5K, while small children had to leap over my crumpled body to continue their race. She was the one who told me about an app called "Runkeeper", which I now use at work when I walk at lunchtime. I was so busy trying to download and walk at the same time I forgot I was even doing a 5K! Thank you, Penny! Love you!

But most of all, where would I be without Melissa?!? Back in the dark ages, and not nearly so technologically connected. Besides being an expert in all things computer & app related, she's a wealth of knowledge on anything Weight Watchers. I'm not sure if she knows, but during the first few meetings, I kept moving up rows of seats till I could sit right behind her. I wanted to hear everything she said and join in her conversations. I even followed her to the grocery store once. We walked through the aisles shopping for "power foods" together. Then there was the time that Jackie, Melissa and I went to go get a Weight Watcher tattoo. But, the place we picked apparently didn't realize that if their shop was open they should actually have a tattoo artist available, in case a customer would come in. We would of had to wait an hour for the guy to roll out of bed and mosey in, so we left. 

I know I can (and often do) text Mel at all times of the day and evening with questions and asking her opinion on things. Or to tell her about a new cookbook. We are both addicted to purchasing cookbooks, I have found out. And most recently, we have both gotten the Striiv Play, and now can compare our "magical islands". But mostly she's just the one I run to when I'm in need of a little TLC, some conversation, or support. Thank you, Melissa. LOVE YOU!

But, wait - there's more! Yep - there are even more great women who have helped and supported me along the way. Tonja and Rebecca, Kerry, Summer, and Nicole. They are always there for me. Rebecca has become my 5K walking partner, and I was Nicole's "client" for her college project as she finished her classes to become a Registered Dietitian. She promised me this day would someday get here.  Summer encourages me every weigh in, and even demonstrates exercises for me. Yes, us girls have staked out out section of chairs for the Sunday morning meeting, and have a great time every week.

So anyway, I'm finding maintenance to be very HARD for me. Much harder than losing the weight. To suddenly be "OK" with no loss on the scale each week is a little difficult for me, as is realizing it OK to actually use the extra points you get back when you're on maintenance. And I kind of feel like I'm out of the inner circle of the game, off on a solitary mission of my own. No more little milestones will be celebrated in the meeting room. Maybe I'm supposed to make my own? I just don't know. But I do know that my journey will continue, and that this is they lifestyle I'll lead for ever more.

I accidently found this "before" picture while searching my files for a specific cat picture. I know the only reason I didn't delete it was because Colin was in it. But now I guess I can see how far I've come, and am happy to have some kind of reference. So when Colin was out last week I asked him to take an "After" picture with me. What do you think?

BEFORE, with Colin in June 2007

AFTER, with Colin April 2013

Pin It