Weigh Day: Anniversary Edition

I weighed in today with a nice 4 lb loss. Getting back on track from Mardi Gras (not to mention adjusting to a new points range) has been more difficult than I expect. However, you all know that I’m a stubborn heifer…so I managed to get things under control. 🙂 Back to my celebration entry, today was my anniversary weigh-in (official anniversary date is 3/28). I cannot believe I’ve managed to commit to WW and all things related for 2 years! The time has flown by…and while it hasn’t been an easy journey, I am thankful that I made the decision to change my life. I’m a different person these days, but I’m never going to forget the 406 lb version of myself.

Revisiting my turning point…written in 2001

I went to New Orleans in February for Mardi Gras. While I admit that I did have a good time, the physical aspect of the trip took it’s toll on me. We stayed at the Hyatt, which was a few blocks from St. Charles Street (prime parade route location). The morning of Fat Tuesday (how fitting), we headed out early to get a good position on the parade route.

The walk there left me winded. Once positioned on St. Charles, we then waited about 2 hours for things to start. Although there are small sets of bleachers for ticket holders, the majority of the people stand during the entire event. The sun combined with too much weight being put on my feet, forced me to leave early. I didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s fun, so I walked back to the hotel by myself. At this point, the sun was out and full force. The walk was painful for me…both mentally and physically.

Once at the hotel, swollen ankles were added to my exhaustion and soreness. At this point, I knew something had to change. I was 23 years old and missing out on some things because of the trauma I was putting my body through. I didn’t inform any friends or family of my weight loss plans, because I’d yet to figure out exactly what action to take.

A couple of weeks after Mardi Gras, I had the pictures developed. I cried that afternoon and the reality of how out of control I was, set in. Two weeks later I joined Weight Watchers. I am *not* a shy person, but I was terrified to walk through the doors and get on a scale. My starting weight was shocking, to say the least. I think most people who join WW find their start weight hard to believe. I knew I was big, but not *that* big. I’m a tall girl (5’10”), but whoever told me that I carried it well, lied like a BIG DOG. *LOL*

Weight loss is a very personal thing, but I hope sharing different aspects of my adventure will help someone else. If you don’t have a website to document your journey, I highly recommend one. Having to update my stats every week holds me accountable, and the feedback I receive in my guestbook is priceless. Total strangers have the power to accentuate your accomplishments, provide a *kick* in the pants when needed, and offer great words of encouragement.

I’d like to say thanks to everyone that offers support…it makes my journey easier. For a small fee, I’ll mention you in my NY Times bestseller. 🙂

Until next time…

C
406/247.2/170