The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth... Sort Of

Remember this post about my winnings from blog-stalking? I'm planning on giving this amazing card to my friend, Molly, and I promised to tell you why... stick with me here:

I've struggled with my self-image for about a year now. My main problem was that I had gone through changes in my job and living situation over the past few years and had kind of not looked out for "me"... everything else came first. When I moved to CO seven years ago, I was a runner. I ran to keep myself sane, but I had been able to do it year-round in AR. I wasn't able to do that in my new community unless I wanted to break my leg running on ice or face the crowded gym in hopes that there was an opening on the treadmill (never happens, by the way). I went through a kick where I went to the gym, took classes, and looked like it. Then, the job change happened. So... I stopped. I spent more time behind my desk and not taking lunch breaks. All of a sudden, I woke up one morning and realized I had completely let myself go-- I mean 20 extra pounds on my petite, not quite 5'1" frame! Where did this roll come from... and that one? Why are my clothes so dang tight?! I had never had to worry about what I ate before... probably because I had been exercising... so this really threw me for a loop. (I know... waaa, waaa, waaa.)

One day in July, I was getting my hair cut by my friend, Molly, whose wedding is coming up next month. We were talking about how we had just realized how much our inactivity had affected us. She confided in me that she had joined Weight Watchers a couple of weeks prior and mentioned they have weekly meetings every Monday. I told her that I just might go. (Apparently, she had gone because a friend had wanted to go, but the girl never showed up... so her faith in me showing up was little to none). That following Monday, I actually showed up. I couldn't believe it myself, to be honest. For some reason, I was a bit weirded out at first. Because I'm petite and not overweight by any means, I was worried about how I would be perceived. I didn't tell anyone I was going... not even J (more on that later in the post). That Monday was July 21st. Five weeks later, I've lost 7.4 lbs! It's not a diet so much, as a change in the way I view food. I am super excited that I made the decision to go.

I did eventually tell J that I was going to WW. You may wonder why I waited. Personally, I wanted to convince myself that I was actually going to stick with the plan and see results before I mentioned anything to anyone, including J. After four weeks on the program, I decided to tell him. He was extremely supportive... and then admitted that Molly's fiance' had spilled the beans after the first meeting! He understood that I needed to prove to myself that I was going to make progress and didn't get upset that I hadn't told him. I explained the program to him, so he's now able to be more understanding of my dietary decisions.

When I attended my first meeting, I did get a little flack from an acquaintance that was already on the program. She didn't say anything at the actual meeting. Instead, she decided to confront me at the grocery store afterward. I was pumped because I had just made the decision to tackle my eating head on, so I was extremely taken off-guard when this girl approached me. I left the grocery store and immediately called Molly (practically in tears, mind you) for support. The girls has only been to one meeting since that evening, and I know that it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm attending. I'm convinced that some people will take their frustrations out on others instead of dealing with their own issues, but the situation still bothered me. Either way, I know that I've made the right decision for me, no matter how other people feel about it.

I've had a few friends make comments about how I look just fine and think it's stupid for me to join the program. They don't seem to realize that I'm finally doing something for me and don't really care if they're on-board. The one friend that I've been able to count on for support through the process has been Molly. We email and text each other when we go over my a million points, share great recipes and high-five each other with each pound we shed. We are each other's cheerleaders. I even made a stink this week when they forgot to acknowledge her 10 pound over-all loss so far. (That's a big freakin' deal!!)

So... that was the long story about why I'm giving Molly the funniest card ever. I hope you hung in there! I will be posting progress and recipe ratings in the future. Stay tuned!