People often ask me “how did you do it?” By “it”, I’m referring to losing 212 pounds. Two people. More than half of myself. So how did I do it? I did it with the tremendous support of my family; mainly my husband, James. James was there with me every step of the way. From the day he brought me home the gym membership in October 2008 to the day I reached my goal weight in April 2011, he was there. Sure, he wasn’t physically there at the gym pushing me, coaching me, he didn’t attend my weekly Weight Watchers meetings, but he was there where it mattered most; in my heart, in my mind, in my soul. I could hear his voice telling me that he was so proud of me. I could see that pride reflected in his eyes as he looked at me. And that pride empowered me. It gave me the courage to push myself further, to try a little bit harder. Not only for my husband, but also for myself.
His pride gave me my pride back. It had been a long time since I felt proud of ME! Sure, I had three great kids that I was raising and I was proud of THEM. But I didn’t do anything that was all mine. All for me. And suddenly I was. I took my life back. I spent 36 years of my life just moving through the motions. A bystander in my own life. But I knew how my story would end if I didn’t change and I was determined to rewrite the chapters. And I did.
When you begin your own journey, make sure you have a support system in place. It doesn’t have to be your spouse. It can be a friend, a relative, a sibling. You want someone that can give you a “thatagirl” when you feel like you just can’t do it anymore. As I started to lose weight and gain pride, I also started to develop confidence. With this confidence I started to reach out to more people to bring into my support network. Social media (Facebook and Twitter) became a huge source of support for me. I had people from all over the United States cheering me on. It was encouraging and inspirational. I also reached out to the group fitness instructors and other members at my gym. And I can’t forget about my fellow Weight Watchers members and my leader. They are my anchors. They keep me grounded and remind me of how far I’ve come. And in return for their support, I’m going to be paying it forward by beginning to lead my own Weight Watchers meetings in the next few months.
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The first step to a successful weight loss journey is putting your support system in place. Look in places you’d expect, but also in places that you might not. What you find just might surprise you.