Going back to the start…
Looking back to September 2013 when I first started my WW journey, I remember wanting to feel confident in my clothes again. This was when I took the step to join my local WW Workshop. I already knew WW from years before when I had joined and then stopped. This was my third time joining up again.
I followed the plan and got to goal, becoming a gold member in January 2014. There were no fireworks or pieces of confetti falling from the ceiling, but I’ve got to admit it felt good to feel comfortable in myself.
At this point, I kept going to get weighed and was ‘kind of’ following the plan. But that’s just what I was telling myself, when deep down I knew I wasn’t. This continued for two years, until gradually I found my way back to my start weight. I’d been lying to myself about maintaining, and as a result I no longer felt good about myself, and I was no longer at goal.
The real deal
Luckily in January 2016, WW introduced the amazing SmartPoints® system. For me, this was the fresh start I needed. A new plan to follow meant I couldn’t tell myself: ‘Oh, let’s say roughly 5 Points’. I started up my Instagram page and was posting all of my meals as well as tracking on the app.
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By April 2016 I was back at goal. This time it felt different. I don’t know why, but it did. Again, no fireworks or confetti, but I didn’t need it. I knew in the back of my mind that I had broken the cycle! I was not going back to the 2015 me.
I realised at this point, if I was to try and maintain on my own and stop tracking, I would fall back into the same loop. I decided to keep getting weighed each week to maintain, but also because I enjoyed the WW Workshops. My WW Coach and fellow WW members helped me to stay focused and positive!
The day the penny dropped…
In February 2018 I was looking forward to my wedding. I remember looking back at my weight loss over the past year and saying to myself: “I haven’t really lost much this year”. Once I said it out loud, I realised how silly it sounded! I used the app to track my journey over the year, and I could see from that which months had gains and which had losses. I know it sounds ridiculous, but finally, just finally, the light bulb came on, and I thought to myself — this is maintenance!
There was a little voice in my mind finally saying well done! And finally, I saw the fireworks and confetti! The metaphoric celebration wasn’t because of reaching my goal, but because I had stayed there. I could finally be proud of myself and I felt better than ever before!
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I think that sometimes, we get caught up in wanting to see losses each week — the excitement of when you have seen a loss on the scales, the joy of when you become a gold member — but the real happiness, the real pleasure, comes when you know you have learnt to maintain.
The key to maintaining
In the last few months, with some amazing holidays, I’ve seen a few gains, but I know that I can carry on and I will review my progress next year. You just have to remember that when you reach your goal, you shouldn’t put yourself down when you gain — that’s just life.
It’s so important to remember this, because it can be easy to get caught up in that cycle — sign up, lose, get to goal, and then end up back at your start weight. I’ve been there, and I’m sure many others have too. But together we can support each other and make this WW journey a positive one!
I owe my positivity and focus to my WW Coach, the other members at my Workshop, and most importantly the amazing people I follow on Instagram and my awesome followers! (You can find me at @smartpoints_nat). Without them all, I can’t imagine where I would be now. The WW family continues to grow, and we are all here to support each other. Thank you to everyone who has helped me on my journey. I am truly grateful!
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