If you’ve been reading around here for any amount of time, it’s no secret that I’m continually trying to be healthier. While it’s been an ongoing journey for me, I know a lot of people jump into it with the new year starting, so it’s a hot topic right now. And honestly? That’s great. It’s awesome to bring attention to living healthier. Even though many people fall off the bandwagon, I’m convinced that each year more people stick to it for the long haul. After all, there was a year I was one of those people – my first stint with Weight Watchers began in January 2005. Yep, 10 years ago.
I’ve had my ups and downs. When I first started Weight Watchers, I lost my weight in about a year and made lifetime status in February 2006. I felt amazing, and was so proud of what I’d done. But then, without getting into everything, life happened. I went from a college student with a fairly flexible schedule to an adult working full-time and spending a lot of time commuting. I was diagnosed as hypothyroid. My weight went up and down, but mostly up. Then I got married, and had a baby. Basically, my body has been through a lot in the past 10 years.
Sometimes it’s frustrating. Especially when the numbers go up. It isn’t fun to look at the scale as it keeps climbing and feel powerless to stop it. There were times I felt I just couldn’t do it all, and times I just gave up… but I always went back. For the past 10 years, Weight Watchers has been a part of my life, not judging, just supporting me. While I’m not where I want to be, I’m convinced that without that support, I would have gained more weight, and that I wouldn’t be as healthy as I am (even though i’m not yet where I want to be). For that, I’m thankful.
That support has saved me in so many ways and made me realize the kind of person I want to be. The person who puts my best self forward. The person who sometimes has a bad day. The person who enjoys both salads and cookies. The person who used to dread exercise but now goes to the gym on her lunch. The person who wants to keep striving to move forward, to be healthier. That’s what it’s done for me.
So, happy anniversary, Weight Watchers. Hopefully the next 10 years will be healthier yet.
