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I will never forget the first day that I walked into my Weight Watcher Meeting. I knew that I was overweight and approximately how much I weighed but reality set in when I stepped on the scale. I have never been so anguished over my weight as I was at that moment. I remember sitting in the room thinking that I would have to leave because I could not fight back the tears. I was thinking how hopeless this was and that I finally let it go too far, that there was nothing that could possibly help me now. In an effort to distract my thoughts, I started reading the WW material I was given and realized how much the program had changed. It really started getting my interest. All of a sudden I started thinking maybe there was hope, maybe I could do this. I didn't have to follow some ridiculous diet. I was in control. I could choose what I wanted to eat. All I had to do was count it and stay within my point range. I could do this! It was at that moment I won the war. I had many battles to fight along the way but I made up my mind at that moment that I was going to do this. I was going to give it my 100% full effort. It was a plan that would work. Something else very important happened that day to help me begin my challenge. That evening when I got home from work, I told my husband Pete about my plans. He did something at that moment that I will never forget. He looked at me and said, "We'll do this together. I want to support you in whatever way that I can." He will never know how much that meant to me or how vital it was to my success. He has been there every step of the way…..my friend, my companion, my supporter, my advocate, my encourager who filled me with courage and strength in preparation for a hard task. I had 150 pounds to lose but I decided to break my goal into small pieces. I set my goal at losing 25 pounds. I would just do it six times. I did not look at the big picture, that was too overwhelming. I measured my success by my ability to stay on the program. I learned new grocery shopping habits and cooking techniques, and above all else, planning, planning, and more planning. I started drinking water like it was medicine prescribed to me and I increased my daily activity. All of this, turning it into a daily routine as if it were like taking a daily shower or brushing my teeth after meals. My reward was losing the weight. When I first joined WW, my motive was to lose weight but something happened along the way that changed my attitude on what I was doing here. I was, maybe for the first time in my life, discovering who I was, finding my strengths and realizing that I was in power to make my dreams come true. My newly found confidence was the key to my strength. I discovered that I was a confident, powerful woman who could do just about anything when I set my mind to it. Losing the weight was just an added bonus. At first the weight came off pretty easy, but as I got closer to my goal weight it slowed down. Dealing with plateaus was very frustrating as were the underserved weight gains, but I decided to be patient with my body and let it do its natural thing. Again trying to put my focus on the positive changes I had made in my life and not to concentrate on the weight. My weekly WW meetings were my inspiration and without my weekly dose of Scott Marcus I could not have done this. He has the ability to just make you want to go out and do this. He blew fresh breath into what sometimes may seemed like fading dreams. At the meeting he brought things back into perspective, helping you cope with the challenges that naturally will come. His message would always get you through your struggles and keep you focused on your goal. The most important message he gave me was, "To be successful does not mean that you are perfect. It just means you keep on trying, you don't give up." Scott, how can I ever thank you for playing such an important role in giving me back my life. There will be very few people in my lifetime that will make such an impact on my life as he has in mine.

So, what is different? What has changed? What can I do now that I couldn't do before? Can you just image what has changed, everything. A whole new life has been opened up to me, like I'm receiving a second chance at life. I get so happy over little things that I now can do. I can walk up and down the stairs. I even on occasion bounce up and down the stairs for no other reason than I can do it now. When I sit I can cross my legs. I can bend over from a standing position and pick things up off of the floor. I can without any effort put my pantyhose, socks and shoes on without any support or sitting on the bed. I can give myself a pedicure sitting in a chair bending my knees up to my chest. I cried the first time I painted my toenails, it was so cool. To say my energy level, endurance has increased is the biggest understatement of the century. I can work in my yard and garden. I can do housecleaning without becoming so tired halfway through that I had to stop. I can go to a gym and not feel out of place. I can work out and keep up with all of them, well at least most of them. There is something more here about self-confidence that allows me to do this. I can jog/run. You've got to understand how meaningful this is. It was like I was given my legs back. I was so scared that I would fall, but I can do it. I can participate in walk/run events and do. I can go through turnstiles. I can go to a restaurant without fear of being able to fit in the seat or booth. I can fit in an airplane seat, theatre seat, etc. I can put on any seatbelt. I can go to Disneyland and fit in all the rides. I can sit in my chair at work and it doesn't squeak. I can hold my grandchildren in my lap. I can shop in a "normal" clothing store. Nobody comes up to me and directs me to the large section.  I have fun picking out my clothes for the next day. I can wear a "size 6" verse a size 26. I can feel my hipbones. I didn't even know that I had hipbones and there are other bones in there too that I have discovered. I can walk into a room full of people without thinking everyone is staring at me and feeling like I'm the biggest person there. I can be with my husband in a group without thinking everyone feels sorry for him for being "stuck" with me. I can eat or shop for food without thinking everyone is staring at me and judging me. "Do you really think you should be eating that dear?" I can look at myself in the mirror and admire who I am. I like looking at me again. I am not afraid to go to the doctor. My blood pressure and cholesterol are down in normal ranges. My breathing is no longer heavy and my husband says that I don't snore anymore. I don't sweat like I used to. I've learned to cook low fat, low point, nutritious foods that taste gourmet. I have accomplished a goal most people thought I would fail at. I have accomplished a goal that most would view as unattainable. I am under control. I am proud of myself. I like me again. I got my life back. To sum this all up, I have to say that I have learned the secret to weight loss. I have discovered what it takes to be successful at any goal you choose for yourself. Are you ready for this? The secret is "You don't give up, you just keep on trying." It has nothing to do with being perfect; it doesn't matter how many times you fail. It has nothing to do with how many times you fall, what matters is how many times you get back up. The amount of times you need to get back up is one more time than you fall down. Always, always this is true; you are successful if you get back up. Reaching a goal requires strategy, a detailed plan for reaching a goal, but it must include a level of determination that begins in your mind. The game is won or lost in your mind. The mind must say, "I will not give up. I will accomplish this goal." I knew the very first day that I came to WW that I had won the war. I knew it because I made that determination in my mind and believed it with all my heart and soul that this is what I wanted. I had many battles to fight but I knew the outcome. I had my vision. I kept getting back up. I had won the war. Watch for the sequel, "Next mission…How to maintain a 150 pound weight lose for life."

For comments and questions: ScottQ@THINspiration.com

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