Summer 2009 WILL Be Different Challenge!

réalta

FROM THE WEIGHT WATCHERS WEBSITE!
http://www.weightwatchers.ie/WWI_Controller.aspx?Page=1017862

How long is long enough to be doing something before deciding it's time to give up? Now there's a strange question to begin a motivational article with – or is it?
Losing weight, just like any other change we make, doesn't happen overnight or in a straightforward manner so it's not unusual for people to sometimes doubt themselves and consider giving up.
Let's say, for example, you have decided you want to learn how to drive.
LESSON 1:

1. First of all you need to make a definite decision that you are going to learn.
2. Next, you need your provisional driving license.
3. Now you need to find someone reputable to teach you how to drive.
4. Initially you will feel very excited and proud of yourself to have gotten this far.
5. Behind the wheel for the first time, most people feel excited and nervous in about equal measure.
6. You check the mirrors, turn on the car and.......the engine cuts.
7. You feel a bit unsure and perhaps even a bit silly
8. The instructor reassures you and you try again
9. And again (feeling less confident)
10. And again (thinking, “This is ridiculous, I can't even get the car started!”)
11. You find the 'bite' and the car takes off.
12. You relax a little bit and start to feel hopeful that you might actually be getting somewhere.
13. Your instructor tells you that time is up and “See you next week”

Twelve steps so far and you have only completed the first lesson and moved the car maybe 50 metres down the road. Not the glorious start you had thought it would be.
But do you give up?
LESSON 2:
It takes a couple of tries to get the bite, which you do and now you start learning all about changing gears, indicating, staying in your lane etc. Under your hands the car chugs, jumps, moves slowly etc. Your knuckles are white as you grip the wheel. You wonder how on earth anyone ever manages to co-ordinate their movements so that they can actually drive properly. You wonder if you'll ever get the hang of it and you can't even bring yourself to imagine driving in city traffic. But do you give up?
LESSON 23:
Weeks have gone by and you are still using 'L' plates. You think that by now you should be happily driving around, full licence in your pocket, feeling like you are king – or queen – of the road, but you aren't. There's no doubting that you have learned a huge amount about driving a car; in fact you never knew there was this much to know about driving. In your innocence you thought that all you had to do was sit in, turn the key and take off. You still aren't 100% you know all the rules of the road. You wonder if you will ever achieve your dream having a full drivers licence. Sometimes you feel more than a little disheartened.
But do you give up?
Why not? Why don't you give up after lesson 1 or 2 or 23? What stops you settling for buses or taxis? So what if you don't drive, it's not the end of the world, is it? Originally you thought that learning to drive would be a smooth progression from step 1 to step 2 to step 3 etc but along the way you learned that it was more a case of ' One step forward, two steps back'. But still you didn't give up.
And why didn't you give up? Because....

1. Learning to drive was something YOU really wanted
2. You wanted it enough that you accepted the challenges along the way
3. In your minds eye you could see what the future held for you IF you could drive
4. You wanted that future more than the future where you couldn't drive

I bet every driver reading this article can relate to the descriptions I've just written. Even people who don't drive can appreciate how learner drivers could feel like this. No one, absolutely no one ever expects a person to learn how to drive in a straightforward, no-looking-back manner.
So why is it that we cannot give ourselves the same time, space and understanding when it comes to losing weight? Yes, some people take to driving very quickly while others seem to take an age, but they both get their licences in the end, if they both stick with it. In the same way, some people lose their weight quickly while others take longer – but they both get to goal weight so long as they don't give up too soon.
Along the way to goal weight, you may have taken a break, lost your way, even lost faith in your own ability. None of that means you have given up. You may have gone back to a number of your old habits, but very few people give up all the good habits they've learned so far. If you are reading this, envying people who are still on the road to goal weight, wishing you hadn't 'given up', then show yourself a little of the compassion and understanding you so readily show other people.
Don't beat yourself up or put yourself down. Stop judging yourself, because no one else is. Everyone who cares about you, including your Leader, wants you to be happy and living the life you want, not the one you settled for.
Next time you feel tempted to 'settle' for something you don't really want repeat this little mantra:

“To start again I must begin from where I'm AT– not where I've BEEN”

FROM THE WEIGHT WATCHERS WEBSITE!
http://www.weightwatchers.ie/WWI_Controller.aspx?Page=1017862

Summer 2009 WILL Be Different! we have to stick with it :flowerforyou:

cloverluv

That's awesome realta!! Thanks:flowerforyou:

destiny_206

Hope everyone is doing great. I am still here, not losing but still trying.

WantToBeMoreActive

Realta, that was fantastic. And oh so true.

I had a hard time learning to drive because my sisters car I was practicing with was HUGE but I still kept at it until I reached my goal!!!!

destiny_206 don't give up, even if it's one step forward, two steps back

réalta

how is everyone doing this week? so lazy this week, will be finished my college course in 4 weeks, then i can concentrate on my fitness levels again! so many assignments to do and i have no motivation when it comes to anything this week! :grumble:

phetzgetfit

realta,

i'm doing good. I'm almost in the final two weeks of my bikram 60-day yoga challenge (16 days to go) and I'm both tired and charged by it. I like how my body is toning. My mind keeps telling me i need a break.

I'm trying to get more water in. That seems to help everything in life for me. so simple and yet so hard for me to do.

I snuck a peak at the scales (I've been trying to just weigh once a week) and they were kind of quivering toward my plateau breaking finally so I have hope again for this week's weighin.

have a great day everyone.

réalta

realta,

i'm doing good. I'm almost in the final two weeks of my bikram 60-day yoga challenge (16 days to go) and I'm both tired and charged by it. I like how my body is toning. My mind keeps telling me i need a break.

that is so amazing, well done :flowerforyou:

cloverluv

Happy Hump Day everyone!! Here's to a great weigh-in (I hope :ohwell: ) tomorrow :drinker:

réalta

wk 0 - 177
wk 1 - 176
wk 2 - 174.8
wk 3 - 174.2
wk 4 - 173
wk 5 - 172
wk 6 - 171 :bigsmile:

slow and steady is my motto every week i think, would love a 2 pound weight loss next week to get into the 160's, gotta try much harder :happy:

i hope you all had a great week, will post challenges later tonight when everyone has weighed in, and remember our CHECK IN is in 3 weeks, on the 30th April, how close are we to meeting our personal goals? i want to be at/under 168 and i want to fit into a new black shirt that i have, cant wait! :drinker:

whatabelighter

Have a Safe and Happy Easter Everyone!!

I weighed in at 166.9 pounds this morning....NOT my ususal weigh in time because I'm going on a road trip...

WantToBeMoreActive

Hi, One pound down this week! :bigsmile:

I'm so glad my knee is good enough to get back to doing aerobics.
I know I have to exercise to get the scale to go down. :laugh:

Good luck all on your weigh ins.

mehapp

I've kind of had a lousy few weeks - illness, etc.
I really need to start exercising!:grumble:

check in:
2/26 192
3/5 190
3/12 190
3/19 189
3/26 187
4/2 186
4/9 186

soon2bgaudet

Down 1lb this week! I will take it after the major loss last week. I didn't think that I wuold lose at all so I am very pleased! Have a great day everyone! :laugh:

yeahbuddy

I have had absolutely no weight loss for several weeks now and it is killing me:explode: I don't know what else I have to do to get things moving.

smithiekat

SW: 164
3/5/09: 162
3/12/09: 160.5
3/19/09: 160.5
3/26/09: 160.5
4/2/09: 159
4/9/09: 159

I was hoping last week's loss would be a kick start to continuing losses! :mad: guess not :ohwell: but i'll take the way my legs are looking these days

réalta

i think our main challenge this week shall be to keep the Easter Weekend Madness to a minimum, well food wise anyway, i was just thinking of which easter egg i will get this year, im such a child, and then i thought, i dont really need an easter egg, i could do with some new clothes more! lol

so, i was thinking that this weekend will be a HUGE challenge for me and i want to be able to have some self control when it comes to chocolate and alcohol!

what do you think guys, is all the easter chocolate a challenge for you, tell me how you are going to avoid it, i think we could all do with some tips to stay focused this week

:flowerforyou:

Summer 2009 WILL Be Different! :drinker:

cloverluv

Start 163
wk 1 162.6
wk 2 161.2
wk 3 161
wk 4 160
wk 5 162.2
wk 6 160.6

Congrats to everybody this week!!! You all did great.

Realta...I think an Easter weekend challenge would be great. I'm actually on a fast through Sunday starting tomorrow (with my church group) yet I know the kids are going to have that leftover Easter candy and chocolate :bigsmile:

phetzgetfit

darn. i was so sure i was down in weight but scales say not so. I'm definitely rearranging things though as my pants are loose. I've been holding at this weight for tooooo long. At least I'm not gaining back the weight i lost but I think i'll come up with some new eating/exercising goals to give myself another jump start.

nice job everyone

l_mahloy

Hi,
I didn't log in yesterday but my weight stayed the same this week:grumble: .I was not as disciplined this week. I must get serious again. Great job to all who lost . Well we all just need to stay in the race slow and steady is the best way for all of us to acheive our goals and keep it off. I do have some good news I am in a smaller size now and feel better about myself for that accomplishment. Have a wonderful Easter.:bigsmile: :bigsmile:
Lynn

cloverluv

Congrats Lynn...a smaller size is fantastic!

WantToBeMoreActive

It's so nice seeing the changes that come with losing weight & getting healthy. :bigsmile:
Well done lynn!!!

Realta I think that's a great idea for the challenge this week. Easter can be a very difficult time.
You go in the grocery store and there are displays of chocolate everywhere....:grumble:
I usually buy myself chocolate at Easter but I didn't this year...I was going to buy some for my hubby but then I thought it might be a temptation for me so I didn't get him any :frown: I figured he could always go to the corner store if he really wanted some :laugh:

Soooo it's Good Friday and I did an aerobic workout today to kick start this weekend on a healthy note!!!

blueyed_blond

I've fallen off the health wagon and am struggling to get back onto it. :brokenheart:

I decided not to weigh in this week and to instead use this long weekend to re-evaluate my goals and to figure out a new plan for eating and exercise.

I'll be back soon. Just wanted to say I haven't given up..just need to take a mini-break and sort everything out.

Have a Happy Easter :flowerforyou:

xoxo




Summer 2009 WILL Be Different!

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réalta

I've fallen off the health wagon and am struggling to get back onto it. :brokenheart:

I decided not to weigh in this week and to instead use this long weekend to re-evaluate my goals and to figure out a new plan for eating and exercise.

I'll be back soon. Just wanted to say I haven't given up..just need to take a mini-break and sort everything out.

Have a Happy Easter :flowerforyou:

xoxo




Summer 2009 WILL Be Different!

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good luck with reassessing your goals, come back soon :flowerforyou:

cloverluv

I've fallen off the health wagon and am struggling to get back onto it. :brokenheart:

I decided not to weigh in this week and to instead use this long weekend to re-evaluate my goals and to figure out a new plan for eating and exercise.

I'll be back soon. Just wanted to say I haven't given up..just need to take a mini-break and sort everything out.

Have a Happy Easter :flowerforyou:

xoxo




Summer 2009 WILL Be Different!

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I have faith in you! You can do it! :drinker:

l_mahloy

Blueyed blonde take time to rethink don't give up you may just be at a plateau. Just wanted to encourage you. I had a bad week this week didn't eat well and didn't exercise enough weight stayed the same. I had several weeks where I didn't lose at all then it went down a pound or two.
Good luck,

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Lynn

réalta

this week's challenge is going to be tough! lol

i had decided that i wasnt going to buy an Easter Egg this year, as i dont really need/want one :indifferent:

so i get a phone call this afternoon, saying that i have won a Cadburys Easter Egg! lol i bought a ticket weeks ago for charity and now i have an easter egg! typical! :blushing:

so i will do lots of exercise, and give half/most of it to hubby! :drinker:

on the plus side, i went shopping today and bought jeans in a size 14 (ireland/uk sizes)

i havent been in a size 14 jeans n 5 years, SO EXCITED!!! :drinker:

hope you all have a great Easter, chat soon!

Emma xx

kirstina_23

im so glad eveyone is doing so good. Im still stuck but im not trying to hard to get out. Health does come first but that darn bathing suit is getting closer :mad:

cloverluv

Congrats on the smaller size Emma. Always an inspiration and very exciting. Plus...I'm jealous haha :laugh:

Hope everyone has a great Easter. Watch out for those deviled eggs.... :bigsmile:

destiny_206

oh a deviled egg sounds good. I am still at the same weight. One of these days.

kfeuvrel

Hi everybody!

Back from vacation, and back to the gym I go! I didn't fall off the wagon exactly, it's more like I limped along side it for awhile. We drove from Atlanta to Key West and back, so drinking 2L of water everyday would require stopping every 30 minutes for a bathroom break - not my idea of a good time - so that was the worst offender. Boy did my body feel it though, and craved salty things!

I hopped on the scale this morning, and I'm back up to 178, but I'm so glad to be back into my usual routine, I'm not worried about making downward progress for the rest of April.

Great job to everyone else who lost or maintained last Thursday! It's so motivating to read everyone's postings and see the progress from week to week.

Kathryn