With A Little Help From My Friends

        This week's meeting topic is about asking for help. I am becoming pretty good at this. But before, I was "independant woman". I don't want you to think I am rich; cause I'm not. I did not want to ask for help. I wanted to figure out how to do most things myself. There's nothing wrong with that but in my case, it was becoming an issue. One of the main issues was trying to lose weight. I would buy some diet book or try some crazy fast diet. I would do it "secretly". As if I could suddenly walk into a room a hundred pounds lighter and the struggle would be over. Joining Weight Watchers was one of the hardest things I ever did for myself. The program forces you to be honest with yourself and accountable to your behaviors. There is one instructional booklet in particular that help you figure out what type of person you are and how it has been affecting you regarding gaining and losing weight. I found out that although I already kinda knew I was a doormat; I really hated asking for help. That's what Weight Watchers is; HELP! No one is there to judge you. Everyone is there to help you. Your leader guides you in the practices of the program. Your fellow meeting attendees offer all types of advice. Sometimes it seems like too much advice and you almost feel overwhelmed. You start thinking to yourself "why do these people think they know what I need and what I should do?"  The truth is they don't know everything. They offer multiple solutions to many of the problems you are faced with in your strugle to lose weight. And more often than not, one of their suggestions sounds good to you. A Weight Watchers meeting is full of helpful friends because they REALLY REALLY REALLY want to help you. I stumbled into the right meeting for the right time in my life. I was a raw wound of weight loss frustration. My mind was wide open. I heard things and I watched people. I took tips and ideas and fit them into my own life. These things fit into my life in a way that I had forgotten they could fit. I had lost so many things about ME and covered them up with weight like clutter in a messy house.

          Now I was open to receiving help and as luck would have it; there were a lot of people willing to give it.
-Like my old department where we would get a lot of leftover food from meetings. I was always on the list to get free food. Once I started the program, I let them know that their spare food did not fit into my plans for my intake. At first, they kept on calling me but eventually they just say " I'm not even going to ask you because I know whay you're up to and I think it's great".
-The office mates with desserts that now walk pass my desk smiling and saying "I'm not even going to ask".
-My bosses that listen to my latest exercise exploits as though it's interesting.
-The partner who told me some cool places to go bike riding ( I haven't done this as I have not ventured forth onto the road with my sweet pink bike).
-The friends and family that have parties with salads and fruits as well as the rich comfort food I am trying to limit.


Sheryl's bike

 -Sheryl a.k.a Ms Bitchcakes, whose biking adaventures reminded me that I really used to love riding my bike and mentioned me in her blog so that someones reads it besides me.

my bike Pinky Tuscadero

-Tamra who knew we would really like to do the 5K as a group and mapped out a route, made flyers and encouraged people to go.

-Cindy who keeps coming up with information about different ways to cook things and articles on why we shouldn't get frustrated about gaining and losing.
-Melanie with her absolute sunny attitude, bundle of energy, making each achievement in our meeting a celebration and shower of bravos like confetti in a parade.

-My sons Josh and Jake who make it easy for me to disappear for a few hours on Tuesday for my weekly meeting, eat dinner at eight and nine o'clock at night so that I can do my workout or ride my bike, and who have participated in four 5K with me and my WW homies.

-My hubby who tried to fix my old bike and keeps my new bike working because he knows it's important to me, has to listen to me moan about the pain I am in when I get into bed and rubs my aching joints and who has talked me down from several ledges when I have a weight gain and never asked for cheese to go with that whine.
   I would really be lost without all that help. Sing it with me....Oh I get by with a little help from my friends.

           This week I regrouped and tried to get back on track. I journaled at least some of the time. I paid a lot of attention to my portions took my self less seriously about my workout routine. I did workout six days last week. My doctor reminded me that if I get 30 minutes of exercise a day, it's actually a good thing, not a disappointment. I got a little more sleep . I think I was having a summer attitude about bedtime and it was really effecting me. I was exhausted. I also did something I have not done in a while. I took leftovers to lunch instead of my "happy salads". It was an experiment in control because I know that I tend to eat the most at dinner . But I think that it worked out because I made correct portion sizes for lunch and was not starving by the time I finished cooking dinner. ( I need to thank Malaika for her blog because she made eating all kinds of lunches look SAFE and appetizing). I found myself eating food in a different balance and not stressing so much.  I lost 2.4lbs this week ( even after a satifying lunch). I like to think that I am heading in the right direction again. I feel good about it. And if next week brings a gain ( please please don't), I will take it in stride.