Aim for Progress, Not Perfection
March 8, 2011
AIM FOR PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION
These words struck me as I read through the story of Carla, a WW member since 2008, in my Weight Watchers Weekly.
She stressed the importance of patience and not falling off the wagon when the number on the scale is rising. I also found her stay-on-track trick also very inspiring.
“If I’m out without measuring tools or my Tracker, I take a picture of my plate with my phone so I can track the meal when I get home.”
Great idea!
Learning and executing healthy life lessons, like the ones Carla has adopted, are what truly separates devoted Weight Watchers from the pack. Many people embark on the journey, but only the strong survive. Survivors are those who possess the strength to fight bad habits and hunger from boredom, strength to plan and prepare and strength to simply continue when it’s not always the easiest thing…those are the true losers (in a good way)!
It was strength over rich food, good beer and lack of exercise that helped Abby Simons drop 35 lbs. after five months on Weight Watchers.
Abby is a wonderful woman I met as a freshmen in college, who now works as a reporter in Minnesota. I’m very honored to be able to share her weight loss journey on my blog, which Abby frequently read to stay motivated.
Abby, right, before
Here’s her story:
“I was pretty unhappy by the weight I had put on and the way I looked, but I wasn’t really doing anything about it,” she said. ”I was on my way home from a road trip with college girlfriends and one mentioned losing about 15 pounds in a few months on Weight Watchers. I was impressed and signed up as soon as I got home.”
Abby never set a specific goal weight but knew she needed to shed a few pounds. As a child she hadn’t struggled with her weight and her mother kept the cupboards clear of junk food. Through college Abby used activity to deter extra pounds. But in 2009, she began a couple of new relationships…one with a man and another with rich foods.
The couple constantly ate out or indulged at home. Abby was bored with her workout routine and too unmotivated to head to the gym after a long day of work. Eventually a minor foot injury from wearing poor quality shoes shut her activity down completely.
“In the summertime I rode my bike everywhere and it kind of balanced itself out,” she said. ”But in the winter, all I did was lay around and eat. Eventually my weight got ahead of me.”
Abby, left, before
Now, Abby works out five days a week, running a few miles most days or lifting weights. She makes sure to wear proper shoes and has started working out in the middle of the day with co-workers. Her next goal includes running a half-marathon this summer.
“I love the way exercising makes me feel, and I love the way my body is transforming inside and out,” she said. “I have more muscle definition, which I love, and I am stronger with more energy. I enjoy challenging my body and seeing the things it can do, that I never thought it could do. My metabolism is higher, I’m more regular and, I can splurge on junk food if I worked hard that day. Admittedly, a lot of my interest lies in vanity. Whenever the treadmill is really starting to suck, I think about how good I’m going to look in a bikini on the beach in a couple months. To imagine myself having a figure close to mine in high school is motivating.”
Abby and I at a wedding in February 2011
Abby has successfully maintained her weight loss, even though she is no longer attending meetings regularly. Exercise plays a large role, but so does her new attitude toward choosing foods.
“Exercising is what keeps me motivated,” she said. ”Put it this way: 30 minutes or three miles on a treadmill only burns about 350 calories, give or take a few. Do you think I’m gonna throw that away on a mini-bag of potato chips? Hell no!”
Abby tracked her weight loss online using the Weight Watchers eTools and attended weekly meetings to keep herself accountable. She also incorporated healthy foods like Morningstar Veggie Burgers, Flat Outs, Bagel Thins and turkey bacon into her diet. She enlisted the help of friends, like her boyfriend George, mom Sally and friend Sarah Gravlin, as well as co-workers, to stay focused.
“I like how Weight Watchers showed me what I could do instead of what I couldn’t. I had so many options, and counting points was easy to do and made sense. It was also, in a strange way, kind of fun.”
Abby and her boyfriend George
Abby’s Top Tips:
• Hold the cheese, you won’t notice it’s missing.
• Bread is not worth all the calories.
• The fridge is not an entertainment center.
• Drinks lots of water after working out.
• Work out on an empty or fairly empty stomach. Drink coffee for a little energy.
• Good shoes with good support are a must. They should be a size bigger than your street shoe.
• Get a workout buddy to stay accountable.
