Week of Gratitude

I was shocked to find out at my weigh-in yesterday that I gained some weight back. So...for this week at least, I lost momentum toward my goal. It doesn't feel good for sure. Debbie didn't tell me exactly how much weight I gained back and I get the impression that it is more complicated than that. I wonder if I have actually been losing 1 - 1 1/2 pounds a week like I thought. All I can do is go forward so...the pitty party will end now. What I feel is GRATITUDE toward Fountain of Youth for the weekly weigh-in! Knowing where I am weekly will help me to get back on track when I fall down. In Oprah's last magazine she talks about gaining back about 40 pounds. She says that she stopped taking care of herself. When I read the article I thought "I'll pay attention not to let that happen to me" yet, that's exactly what I did. I stopped taking care of myself. I'm just grateful to know before all of the weight crept back on. THANKS FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH! I haven't felt well since before Christmas and I got the full-blown flu last week. I stayed in bed or did the bare minimum of work just to get by. I went for long periods without eating. Then I ate canned chicken soup (the kind with very little chicken). I figured that it couldn't be many calories. I didn't go to the gym--no energy. The other thing I didn't do (but I didn't even realize until I thought about it due to my weigh-in) is log what I was eating. I didn't eat a lot of quantity and I didn't eat "bad" foods. The problem is that I didn't eat enough protein. I got off-balance. The scale at Fountain of Youth knew that. Incredible! This week I am back on track. (I chuckle now to think that I thought I was O.K. because I didn't eat much.) I realize that my struggle has always been in taking care of myself. As a divorced mom with a crazy ex, all my kids have is me -- literally. That is why I work so hard at growing my insurance business. When I am not working, I am helping my children. I have to remember myself in the mix. It feels so foreign to me. After this week I realize that I have to find a way to find time for myself or I won't be here to take care of my children. And...this weight loss journey will be all in vain if I back-slide. This is the hardest part of the journey--much harder than following the food program and going to the gym. I will succeed! It's for the children!