Cartoon used with permission by Randy Glasbergen
Losing It (With Weight Watchers)

Note to all readers: This blogpost is specifically about losing weight with Weight Watchers- in case the title didn't fill you in ;o) Please refrain from the common sneers of "Ha! You're skinny!" Or "I wish I had YOUR problem." Believe me, I've heard it all before. All such comments will be deleted, as this is a post designed to pass along information, not fish for personal compliments.

That being said, I can now take my "mean" hat off and talk to you, dear reader. I've been going to Weight Watchers since November of last year. In fact, I started the week before Thanksgiving (stupid, I know). Why did I go? Well, to be honest, I gained a good chunk of weight with Alex (46 lbs. to be exact) and found myself plateaued about 15 lbs above where I wanted to be. I did the whole nursing thing, and ate like mad. It was fabulous, since nursing burns up to 500 calories a day! Woohoo! And then I weaned him. The female body loves extra fat. The little cells cling to us, yelling "Noooooo!" as we try to peel them away. I promise you, Nathan will say, "I need to lose 5 lbs. No supper this week, please. I'll just take a yogurt." And in a week, voila! Ugh! It takes me approximately 20.4 days to lose 1/2 lb. (or at least it feels that way). Chant with me now: "It's just not fair! It's just not fair!" Ah- cathartic!!!

I am 3 lbs. above my ultimate goal thanks to WW. I wanted to pass along the pros and cons of the system and some tips I've picked up along the way, along with my own personal journey.

1. (Let's get the worst one out of the way first) I believe that because our husbands are wired by God to be visual, we ladies should make an effort to be visually appealing. Like it or not, that includes weight. I've heard people say, "It shouldn't matter." Sorry, gals. Maybe not. Plus it can hinder our testimony if we are out of control.

2. I am admittedly an emotional eater. And I am afraid of others' opinions (and proud, too). So I'll sneak around chomping on sweets when I feel bad, and then hop on the treadmill so no one will ever be able to tell. Habits are super-hard to break. Addictions are even harder.

3. I believe eating food is a pleasure. It is never an inconvenience, or a burden to me. I know a few people who resent having to stop and eat, as it hinders their productivity, but they are few and far between ;o)

4. When I see an overweight person, I no longer pat myself on the back for a job well done. Just because my struggles may not be visible to others, does NOT mean that I don't have any. I am weak in so many areas. God, help me to be sensitive to each other's struggles. Turning to food to solve my problems, and being too proud to admit it to others aren't exactly great personal characteristics. Yep, I need to write this blog.

5. It does no good to me to compare myself to others with a better or worse metabolism. I have fat in my family genes. That's just all there is to it. My mother was heavy as a teenager, and she fights it all the time. When I was a teenager, I used to see the other girls pigging out and then waltzing off in their teeny-tiny shorts, and think "Ugh! How can that be?" Turns out I have a redundant colon. That means my long intestine got growth-happy during development, and I have a 1/3 more than everyone else. That FORCES me to exercise and eat a high-fiber diet. Well, it doesn't FORCE me, but I'd rather not be in the hospital.

6. I love feeling healthy. I hate feeling sickly. Eating nutritiously and exercising are the most effective way to feel great. (Bummer- since I hated phys. ed. and anything that involved sweat. I was the only kid in the public school gym class who wore a skirt, and I got ragged about that a good bit, too. I also had a strong fear of humiliation. Not a natural athlete, I usually chose to walk track or something.) When the kids ask me why I exercise, I tell them it makes me a stronger mommy to take care of them.

So, now you know my background. Go get honest with someone about how you view food and weight issues in your life. Surprise, surprise! You'll find out that people of all sizes struggle with this stuff.

Next post: the specifics of WW, points, etc. and my opinion (of course ;o)
p.s. check out www.glasbergen.com to see the above cartoon's artist's hilarious works!!!! Thanks to Mr. Glasbergen for permission to use above cartoon.