In January I will acknowledge the start date of my 3 year personal weight loss and wellness journey with WW. This is not meant to be an endorsement of WW as I believe every weight loss and wellness journey is very personal, but, WW was and is my choice and what works for me.

I came from a dark place back in 2018. About 100# heavier than I am now, physically uncomfortable, and struggling to stay positive. I joined WW on my birthday and bought an auto-renew monthly pass as a birthday present to myself. I have a supportive husband who quickly hopped onboard and has given me his full support every step of the way. He even drove me out to Oprah’s 2020 Tour event in Minneapolis and attended it with me.

One tool that I used to launch the beginning of my new journey was journaling. My first entry is hard for me to go back and read. A writing tool I learned back in nursing school was to take a blank sheet of paper, a pen, and for 1 minute write whatever words flow. The trick is to just keep writing, whatever comes out. Words, short 2-3 word phrases poured out. Even a sketch. Sometimes pictures say it all. I have never showed my first journal entry to anyone and intended to burn it because I never wanted anyone to see it. Almost 3 years later I still have it tucked away. I have pulled it out and read it twice along with the couple of entries that followed. Each subsequent entry was a bit brighter and it seems that once I wrote that initial entry my demons were somehow released and I was on the path to a better version of me.

My point is, put it down on paper and leave it there. Maybe it is a journal entry. Maybe it is writing down everything you ate on a day when you were totally derailed. Or for me, writing down my weight every morning followed by a + or – of how it relates to my WW goal weight. Writing things down empowers me and I use a paper planner/journal every single day. I take my planner everywhere and use my WW app daily (even if on some days I am missing some of the entries.) If I have stayed at your house overnight, I know where your scale is, and have used it!

2020 brought me to my WW goal in the midst of the pandemic. I remember crying during a virtual WW meeting along with my WW Coach, Pam, when it happened. I also remember her arriving at my door during the pandemic with a beautiful plant and a butterfly flag for me to celebrate. I was in my pajamas of course, not expecting anyone. We hugged and cried (again.) My WW crew has been a Godsend and they have carried my through the times when I was not able to stand on my own in this journey.

I am a different person now than I was on 1/23/18. My health is at the forefront. I am more focused and optimistic. Most importantly, I have learned how to let go of things which I cannot contol and acccept that some things just are what they are. I have learned how to avoid picking up a problem that is not mine. I have learned how to experience something bad in the world but not stand on it. I am changed and I have no regrets about any part of my journey. It’s all part of my story.

Thank you for reading the Platinum Muse. For more like this go to: http://www.platinummusecom.wordpress.com