I'm a fifty-something woman who lives in the Sonoran desert in Arizona. I'm a writer by profession, and work from my home. Working from home is perfect for a writer.
For the most part, I've created the life I always wanted to have.
About My Weight
I have never been thin and I have really only dieted three times before starting this blog.
The first attempt was in high school. At the time, I thought I had failed. Looking back, I reached the lowest weight of my adult life. What failed was my self confidence.
The second attempt was in my late twenties. I was out in the working world, and out of a job. I returned to grad school to learn some additional things that I thought would make me more employable. I met one of the loves of my life, and went on Weight Watchers. I lost about 25 pounds during that time, which I unfortunately gained back when my heart was broken a year later.
But this was a great learning experience. I took a lot of lessons away from this time. For starters, I promised myself that I wasn't ever going to put myself through the yo-yo dieting. I decided not to start a diet for flimsy reasons and to wait until I was really ready to change my life for myself, permanently.
The biggest lesson was discovering that I was an emotional eater. Armed with that observation, I decided that it was time to work on my compulsive behavior. I joined Overeaters Anonymous and learned a whole lot about myself.
Overeaters Anonymous
I spent one of the most interesting years of my life in the OA program. I studied myself, and I realized that different emotions were triggering a desire for different foods -- and I broke the code. In fact, this breakthrough was one of the biggest healing experiences of my life. For the first time, I was really able to understand the swirling emotions I was experiencing. My emotional life became much calmer, and I began to make sense of my life. I didn't actually lose much weight during that time, about 20 pounds, but the learning stuck with me.
Then, I moved across the country for a job, and fell in love with the desert. The job turned out to be a dud, but it inspired me to become self-employed. I had thought that working from home would give me a chance to really build the lifestyle that I wanted. But I discovered that I was overworking as much as I did on jobs, and that I was stressed out nearly as much.
Weight Watchers
In the fall of 2001, I was becoming restless for a big change in my life. For the first time, I realized that I was ready to deal with my weight and my health. I did some research, talked to some people who lost and then regained their weight, and made some decisions.
I decided that Weight Watchers would be a good place for me to start, and that I had to focus on something bigger than the weight loss. The real issue in my life was the unhealthy lifestyle, and my weight was only a symptom of that. So, to be successful, I realized that I had to change my lifestyle. This would be the road to a permanent change in my life, not a temporary weight loss followed by a rapid weight gain.
As you can see from my blog, I was quite successful during 2002 with my goal to build a healthy lifestyle. I had some setbacks, and I didn't make as much progress as I would have liked, but there is no denying that I've laid a foundation for a lifetime of change.
In the years since then, I've slowly slipped backwards because I started to lose focus on my healthy lifestyle. I gained back some of the weight I lost. But I'm aware now, and working again to create the best lifestyle for myself.
Take Your Own Advice
This blog is where I come to talk with myself. You are always welcome to listen in, observe what I'm wrestling with, and take away anything that encourages you.
This site does not offer advice to anyone. You should check with your doctor for advice about weight loss and other health issues. This blog also doesn't represent Weight Watchers. I am actively participating in Weight Watchers, but I don't speak for them.
Bottom line: If you are encouraged by what you read here, that is great. If you find something that is valuable to you as you design your own lifestlye, take it and make it your own.
You are not the only one who is struggling with these issues.
Always consult with your doctor and other health professionals for advice about your life and your decisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment