Hi Everyone!

The topic of last week's meeting made me think and I thought I'd use this space to ruminate a bit.

We talked about losing our weight for good...forever...never have a serious weight issue again. Although many members have the confidence to say they believe they will get to goal and lifetime, a lot of them do not seem to see themselves keeping it off.

Certainly our personal history is the primary reason for this belief persisting. How many of us have joined WW countless times? We sometimes actually get to goal, but even that can seem elusive. 

And if we do lose weight, maybe not even getting down to that magic number completely, it seems to creep back up over time. So how can we believe anything else?

I was the same. As I was losing my weight (for the last time...most of you know it took me 30 years to get to goal) I was not even thinking about keeping it off. That was a foreign concept. I just wanted to lose the darned pounds. I had never even gotten anywhere near goal in the past so what did I know about keeping the weight off for any amount of time?

And once I got to goal I was so thrilled that for awhile I celebrated and ended up having to get back there again (not by much...I had to pay as a lifetime member twice). It was then I decided to figure out a way to keep it off and working for WW seemed a logical solution.

I am not saying becoming an employee is the only way of maintaining your loss, although for me it has been a lifesaver on many levels and I love it, so if this is of interest to you please talk to me about it. But the meetings...ah the meetings...If I did not go to meetings I gained. So the first big aha was never ever quit going (and of course working for WW insures that...). I had heard it all 1000 times, but somehow the meetings always kept me on track.

Over time my relationship with food has changed so much. Foods I used to love (pizza, burgers and fries, cakes, pies, etc) began to have less appeal, and healthier fare has come to be my food of choice. My addictions to certain foods began to decrease and then disappear. My committment to activity has risen steadily over the years. Now ten years plus later I can say I hold a firm belief that I will not gain back the weight I lost. I will gain and lose, as life happens, but I will never be that unhappy 225 lb woman I was back then. And this is a wonderful feeling.

So what are some hints for making this work? Meetings...yes always. Having a core group of foods you love and making it a priority to buy and eat those foods. Making smart food choices overall allows for indugences, so having treats in moderation has been crucial for me. Keep moving...I think of myself as a shark that will die if I do not keep active. And looking at this whole thing as a joy and an adventure instead of a chore and burden.

But I think the key is wanting it more than anything else.  It is so much more satisfying than overindulgence, why let go of the energy it takes to maintain it? Yes, consciousness is required and some sacrifice is required, and certainly effort is required. But anything worth having (your marriage, your job, your children...) will require all of those things, right?

So as you are losing your weight and wondering if you can mantain that loss or you are already at goal and wondering what the future holds, look no further than your beliefs, your attitude and your desires. Millions of members have maintained their losses...will you be one of them?