Many tough things in life can be affirmed by the phrase "It’s not a race, it’s a journey." That could include looking for a job, changing a bad habit, or learning a new skill. For me, it’s losing weight.

I joined Weight Watchers last February. In nine months I’ve lost 15.2 pounds. Most of the time I’m proud of myself for losing the equivalent of 12 medium cantaloupes. But there are days when I find myself calculating how much weight I could have lost had I stuck to the program 100% of the time. Had I been a "good girl" I would be very close to my goal weight by now.

Yesterday I went to my first Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting in three weeks. I didn’t want to go at all. I knew I had gained weight and I didn’t want to face the music, so-to-speak. But I knew that if I was going to succeed I had to go to the weigh-in. If I cared about myself and was truly committed I had to do it. I needed to face the consequences of the bad choices I’d made the past three weeks.

A funny thing about weigh-in is the need to explain yourself to the Weight Watchers receptionist who records your weight. I’m sure they hear plenty of self-deprecating confessions. The receptionists have all been on the weight loss rollercoaster themselves. The woman recording my weight that day had lost 100 over pounds, and kept it off.

As I stepped on the scale I found myself telling her in my most exasperated tone how I knew I had gained weight, how stressful the past few weeks have been, etc. etc. As she recorded my weight gain of 4.8 pounds she smiled and said "Now that’s not so bad! Remember it’s not a race, it’s a journey."

That was exactly what I needed to hear. I was so caught up in beating myself up for not sticking to the program that I had forgotten I wasn’t just losing weight, I was changing my lifestyle, and that doesn’t happen overnight. As I sat down for the meeting I was feeling good and confident about recommitting myself to the program. And to top it off, the topic of the meeting was about self-forgiveness. 

So I’ve forgiven myself and continue on my weight loss journey. I have a renewed excitement about reaching my goal weight and improving myself, not just on the outside but from within.

I’m finally doing it. I’m writing a blog. It seems most everyone on my husband’s side of the family blogs: his mom blogs, his sister blogs, his brother-in-law blogs, his sister-in-law blogs, his daughters blog, his cousin blogs (I’m probably missing a few bloggers). I love reading them all.

I’ve been nudged numerous times by my husband and mom-in-law to start my own blog. Finally, my husband just set up the page for me (I think he got tired of waiting for me to take the initiative). So I’m going to give blogging a try. It’s been a while since I’ve flexed my writing muscles for something other than a private journal. I admit I’m a little nervous about it, but a little excited too.  

I have plenty to learn about blogging, and I have lots of ideas swimming in my head of what I’d like to write about. The trick is going to be picking one to focus on!