Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Starting Weight Watchers Again

I started on my first diet in 2001, during college. I remember sitting on a bench while waiting for a prescription and blurting to my BF that I had been thinking of joining Weight Watchers.

That first diet was incredibly successful. During 2001, I lost around 20 lbs. I was happy and felt great. It was fairly easy.

Then I plateaued. For the next year my weight was static, even though I was still on Weight Watchers and still actively working to drop pounds.

I graduated in 2002 and moved back to San Jose. My office secretary was an incredible baker. She made the best coffee cakes and cookies you've ever had. I was also attending lots of bike nights and eating out all the time. My weight ballooned back up to where I'd been when I started. I rejoined Weight Watchers a couple of times, but nothing much happened. I didn't stick with it. I'd learned how to *game* the system.

My weight was a factor in my 2006 break-up with a boyfriend of 3 years. That was devastating.

I've see-sawed around the same 15 lbs during the last 3 years (2006-2009) in Texas. There have been a few half-hearted attempts to lose weight. My only major success happened when I got sick and didn't eat for a week. Others fizzled out in the first month.

In April 2009 I finally got serious about losing weight again. I didn't rejoin Weight Watchers, but I did use the principles learned from my past success. Most days I kept my meals fairly boring. I learned to love broiled chicken breast, baked potatoes, and convenience frozen steamed vegetables. I used my dog as a motivator for taking more walks and eventually picked up running.

By the end of 2009, I had dropped just over 25 lbs and ran my first 10k race. I looked and felt different. A major milestone was actually being happy with most of the photographs taken of me over the holidays.

I took a short break from focused weight loss in December 2009, but am right back at it for 2010! Among my goals for the year are losing another 20 lbs and running a November 2010 half marathon in San Antonio.

(revised 1/4/10)

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