Bring out the Scale

It’s that time of year again

Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash

The ball drops in New York City, and the crowds yell “Happy New Year.” I’m sitting home watching this, raising my glass of eggnog, which will be my last for another season.

Why, you ask?

It’s not because the stores aren’t carrying eggnog. I usually stock up, anyway.

The reason this is my last glass is because I’m bringing out the scale and jumping on the healthy bandwagon.

After looking at my memories on Facebook, I realize I have had the same New Years resolution for years.

Haven’t most of us?

It never ceases to amaze me that the older we get, the harder it is to lose weight. For women, hormones and a changing metabolism make it even harder.

But harder doesn’t mean impossible. Back in my 40’s I made a decision to join Weight Watchers. It took me ten months, but I met my goal and gained lifetime status.

Why I chose Weight Watchers

First, I researched a lot of programs. Everyone has to make their decision on what will work best for their bodies and lifestyle. For me, the decision was Weight Watchers. What I didn’t like about other programs was the pre-made meals. I had tried some over the years and did not care for the taste or the high costs.

What I loved about Weight Watchers was learning how to make good food decisions.

I went to the weekly meetings, and it was nice to hear stories about our leaders’ weight journey. She had such an encouraging and positive attitude. I also felt the weekly weigh in forced me to be accountable. The last thing I wanted was to weigh in and have somebody tell me I had stayed the same or worse, gained weight! Even if I only lost a few ounces, at least it was a reduction.

The one thing about Weight Watchers that I did not adhere to was the journaling of points.

I just could not document every meal or try to figure out how many points were in homecooked meals. Instead, I grew more aware of what Weight Watchers considered high point foods, low point foods or zero-point foods.

It was all about moderation.

They tell you there is nothing you can’t have. If you really want to eat something you love, even if it’s high in points, go for it. But realize you will need to make adjustments on other days.

I found that if I deprived myself of something, the craving for it grew. But after a month or two, I figured things out, and ten months later, I hit my goal.

Health issues and weight gain

Unfortunately, my weight loss was not permanent. I started putting on pounds here and there, and they didn’t come off easily.

Three years ago, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I thought I would lose weight.

I always heard stories of people going through chemo being nauseous and not having the desire for food. While not the way you want to lose weight, I figured pounds would undoubtedly come off.

Not the case with me. During my chemo I did lose my taste for some things, but I craved anything with a cream sauce. Ice cream was also a major win for taste. My oncologist felt if it tasted good and I could keep it down I should eat it.

Needless to say, between chemo, radiation, and oral chemo, I packed on the pounds. While I did not lose my taste for the high-calorie items, I suffered from fatigue, so exercise was out of the question.

First cancer, then knee replacement

Then my first summer without having to deal with cancer, I came to a decision, with my orthopedic. It was time for knee replacement. Guess what that meant? Little exercise again. Physical therapy was the best I could do. While better than nothing, it still was not a big pound reducer.

So here we are.

After seeing photos of myself, I realized I’m not happy with my weight. I am 40 pounds from the original goal I set all those years ago. So to re-start my weight loss journey, I have set a goal of losing 20 pounds by October.

Why October? My stepson’s wedding is in October, and I’d like to look good. When I go shopping, I want to look for something fashionable, not something that hides my figure.

Slow and steady equals success

How’s it going so far? For the first two weeks, I’m down 2 pounds.

Slow and steady is the way to do it. Changing a lifestyle takes a little time, but in the end, it really does help you not only to lose, but to keep the pounds off longer.

Anyone else out there doing the weight loss thing? What are you finding successful?

***Thoughts a Thinking*** is a name I chose as I wanted to base my writing on thoughts I have. Retired and loving it. It’s time to do what I’ve always wanted, and that’s to write. I hope you all enjoy it. Feel free to check out my stories on Medium.

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