I can say from experience that losing weight with the help of other people is so much better than going it alone. Sure, I could go about trying to lose weight on my own, but now that I know that I don\u2019t have to go it alone, I don\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n
Do you know what the best part of being a part of a weight loss group is?
\nI\u2019ll tell you.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the standing ovations that you get after losing so much weight that it\u2019s hard for people not to take notice.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been fortunate myself to experience what it is like when everyone around me was standing, clapping, and looking at me and telling me things like \u201cWay to go Gretchen!\u201d<\/p>\n
I had that just a few weeks ago after having an 11.1 pound weight loss in one week.<\/p>\n
That was the week I turned things around for the better after having struggled for a while.<\/p>\n
Though I had been having difficulty for a while before then, I never gave up.<\/p>\n
I got my head together, got prepared and then strategically launched my turnaround.<\/p>\n
So far things are going well.<\/p>\n
Down about 30 pounds or so from my highest weight of 418.9 pounds, I\u2019m starting to feel better, walk better and I\u2019m really getting my act together.<\/p>\n
Week after week when I walk into my weight loss group meeting, when I tell everyone that I\u2019m doing well, I\u2019m greeted with praise and smiles. My mood is instantly lightened and I\u2019m reminded that all the efforts of the previous week have been worth it.<\/p>\n
Yes, they were worth it. The efforts tracking my food, getting my food and eating it right \u2014 those efforts have been worth it.<\/p>\n
So have the efforts I have put forth to fit exercise into my lifestyle.<\/p>\n
I used to hate exercise with a passion. It was the bane of my existence.<\/p>\n
The problem is that when you hate something that is good for you, it doesn\u2019t leave much opportunity for you to gain the benefits of that good thing, especially if that hate leads to one completely avoiding that thing.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what I did. There were times I would avoid exercise completely. I didn\u2019t consciously think, yes, I am going to avoid exercise today. Subconsciously though, I\u2019m sure that thought was there somewhere, right along with all of the excuses I would come up with to support it. Of course those excuses were thinly veiled behind what I would call legitimate reasons for that avoidance, but were excuses nonetheless.<\/p>\n
Now those excuses are melting away as I am buoyed toward achieving my goal.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s something about seeing the rewards for hard work that makes it all seem worth it.<\/p>\n
I see those rewards most clearly when I reach meeting day for my weight loss group, TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly). Encouraging words from fellow TOPS members, the clapping, the occasional winning of contests and challenges \u2014 it makes it all fun and rewarding. And even when I am not the one that does the best that week, it\u2019s nice to see someone else succeed. Somehow seeing others succeed sometimes helps boost my own motivation by reminding me that my goals, while big, are still doable.<\/p>\n
I think that\u2019s the point though. It\u2019s why like-minded people come together in a group to pursue a common goal. While one\u2019s own success comes from one\u2019s own efforts, the mind-sets that lead to success, I think that they may be contagious somehow. Sort of like someone mirroring a smile of another that has just walked into the room, I think it\u2019s possible for one to see another\u2019s positive attitude and mirror that in one\u2019s own life if they choose to do so.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why I think weight loss groups are such a good idea. One person can lift both the mood and the outlook of another, often without even realizing it. The process goes on, seen only if one looks, but felt nonetheless.<\/p>\n
Thank you to my fellow TOPS members for lifting me up when I needed it, helping me to chug along in my efforts without stopping for the first time in my life. You\u2019re helping me to change my life! A shout out goes out to Janet Seaberg, a fellow TOPS member who was the most recent recipient of a TOPS group standing ovation. Janet has done really well since having joined TOPS recently. Good job Janet! I\u2019m rooting for you!<\/p>\n
________<\/p>\n