What I Learned From Jen
1. That I don't have to give anything up.
Weight Watchers best principle is that you can have whatever you want, if you want it bad enough. If you want to spend your entire day's points on a bowl of mac and cheese, do it! Moderation is key. If you eat the mac, be prepared to eat nothing but salad the rest of the day. OR eat a tiny bit of the cheesy, deliciousness and then eat some veggies to get full. It's your choice.
2. That it takes a really long time.
It took a year I think.
3. That losing this weight will change me in a million ways I couldn't expect.
She is the happiest and most energetic I have ever seen her. I have known her for 11 years and I am amazed that she seems younger and more beautiful then ever. Her confidence, grace and the way she moves even, are so changed. I can barely describe it. She finally seems at home in herself and I want to feel that way so badly. I can't tell you how often I don't go do something I want to do because I am ashamed of my body or my fitness level. Or because I am simply too tired or depressed to want to.
4. That confidence leads to wonderful, life-changing things.
5. That you have to make the time to love yourself.
That's what putting your health first is, loving yourself!! Don't make excuses. Just do it. I have a 20 minute exercise video that I can do anytime. Think about how much time you spend staring at the TV or staring into space even. I bet you have 20 minutes a day that you didn't even know about.
I love you, Jen!
Thank you for being such an incredible friend and role-model!
Oh my goodness my sweet friend, that nearly made me cry :)
ReplyDeleteYou, Harmony, have always been with me over the past years helping me to exercise and eat better. You were the one that encouraged me when I felt down. And for that I must thank you so very much (insert heart).
It did take me a year to lose 50 pounds. And as the year progressed, it definitely slowed down. I had to really ramp up the exercise to get the weight to move as quickly as before. But it was sooooooo worth it!
My life changed from a state of significant unhappiness to one of amazing bliss in many ways. The improvement in my energy, feeling of self-confidence and general sense of well-being was truly astounding and impacted my life in major ways.
I ended a 15 year, pretty unhappy and unsupportive, marriage. I seized control of my life and suddenly found that I could have FUN again! I hadn't really done that in a very long time, as Harmony can attest. I rediscovered what the passions were in my life and found that I am a much better mother, friend and partner as a result.
So now I am enjoying my life to the fullest and making sure that I continue to be good about self-care, which I was terrible about in the past. And part of that self-care is watching what I eat, splurging once in a while, and getting plenty of exercise/activity. If I don't do these things then I have noticed my energy level begins dropping and my weight starts creeping back up. When this happens, it's very easy to start getting back into old habits and thus not feeling as good anymore.
So keep it up! All the hard work is really worth it!!
And Harmony, I am so blessed to have you in my life! I love you!!