WW Weigh-In: Week 10 -- 264.6 lbs (2.6 down this week; 24.6 total)

Got my 20-lb star and ribbon today. I actually reached that point a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't stay for the meeting, and then last week I weighed in in Moncton, so today was the day. Looking at my stats, that 25-lb star will likely be next week. They used to have ribbons for that, but I don't know if they do anymore. My 10% won't be far behind it.

I'm feelin' "groovy". :) Today, at the WW meeting, my "fearless leader" was asking if anyone thought they were "in the groove", weight-loss-wise. Jenn, sitting next to me, said, "You are." I was thinking about it and almost immediately, the leader agreed with Jenn. "Karen, I'd say you are. You're saying hmmmm, but you are." I was hemming and hawing because I haven't been getting it all done the last few days, but they're right -- I am in the "zone" this time. I am "in the groove". And I like it! :)

Ever since then, I've been trying to figure out what's different this time. I shared with the group that a big part of it was forcing myself to take my lunch everyday. Once the lunchbox is empty, then that's it -- I'm done. But there's something that goes along with it that I didn't share because I couldn't articulate it at the time. But I know now.

I've had to learn to say "no". I've had to learn that I might have to bruise someone's feelings, just a little bit, if they're offering me food that I'm not going to eat. This, by far, has been one of the most difficult things for me to learn to do.

By nature, I'm a people-pleaser, and I love to eat, especially cookies and squares and the like. And if any of you out there are teachers, you know what the average staffroom is like. There's food everywhere, often being offered by people you really care about. But I've learned to say no, repeatedly if necessary, in as gracious but firm a manner as possible. Some people have even said, "But I've calculated out the points for you", but while I appreciate that effort and I thank them for it, I'm counting so much more than just points. I'm keeping track of 10 different things, with points just being one of them. I've gotten a lot of raised eyebrows, and I've heard people muttering to themselves that I'm being obsessive. But it's not obsession; it's determination. And frankly, if it's working for me, then why change now?

Bottom line is, if I don't know exactly what it is, then I'm not going to eat it. At restaurants, I know that their nutritional info is for an average serving, and that what they give me may not be "bang on". But you know what? As long as I plug those numbers in, I know I'm doing the best I can do. And when I hop on that scale first thing in the morning, it's not so much to see what it says (although if it's down, I do a happy dance and tell you). That scale is the first step, the key in the ignition, of an on-program day. I go from the scale to the weight-loss software on the computer, and the day's weight loss journey has begun.

Now if I could just figure out how to work the water in around my classes, I'd be very, very happy. :)