A Little Help from my Friends

I just got back from a quick trip to Ft. Walton last week, and the week before was the financial audit at work.  So...I've been out of pocket for a while.  I gained 6 pounds while I was gone, but I'm back and ready to get back down to business with eating, exercise and most importantly blogging.

One of the most invaluable aids in my weight loss efforts was and still is my friends.  As I mentioned earlier, I was very reluctant to make my efforts public, but once I did, I wished I had done so earlier.  A couple of friends made what to them was almost an off hand comment, but they resonated with me.  I have considered them repeatedly while I have been on this journey.  I'll share two them now.

I was lamenting one day at work, that the weight loss process was slow and one woman agreed by saying "It is a long walk of obedience."  Some how that statement hit me right between the eyes.  It is a 'walk' for sure.  It is not a race or sprint or even a jog.  It is a walk and a long one a that.  To be successful in the weight loss arena, obedience is paramount.  Obedient to the plan, and to your body.  Any time I begin to think about how long this whole thing is taking I remember her statement - a long walk of obedience, and I put one foot in front of the other on the long walk.

Another day, a friend was relating a tip she'd heard at a Weight Watchers meeting.  When driving along and the car hits the rumble strips on the side of the road, the natural reaction is to pull the car back up on the road where it belongs and proceed on the journey.  With weight loss, if the car hits the rumble strips, which is going off plan, the thing to do is pull right back in the lane and continue on the journey - or get back on plan.  Somehow, dieters have decided that if they hit the rumble strips, they swerve on off of the road and in to the ditch.  That makes as much sense as swerving in to the ditch as soon as you hit those rumble strips.  None of us would do that. 

That really helped me tremendously, and whenever I ate something I wasn't supposed to, I just pulled the car back in to the lane and proceeded down the street rather than thinking I'd pile it in for the rest of the day/week and start fresh in the morning/Monday/next month.

These two statements helped me with the mental battle in weight loss as much as the eating plan and exercise did for the physical battle.  I hope they are helpful for the reader.


One other thing I've done is join the blogging community.  I've created this blog with the hope that it will help keep me accountable and help others on their journey besides being a record of how far I've come.  I read blogs too.  One of my favorites is here.  I feel like the author is a friend, although clearly, I've never met her.

If any reader has started their own weight loss plan, leave a comment saying how you are doing.