Mission 2: Take a Reality Check

Well, I knew that keeping up with a blog was not going to be easy. Adding one more thing into an already busy schedule...

Mission 2 of 52 Weight Loss Missions is to take a reality check. The point that stood out to me in this was that "I couldn't lose weight by having it as a background goal. I had to make it a focus. I had to invest time. I had to get serious."

It is certainly true that I have fantasized about having the weight magically come off. I'd imagine just riding bikes with my kids more, and going to zumba more, and the next thing I know, I'm dropping pant sizes! It's a nice fantasy, isn't it? And really, that's how it happened for me in junior high, when I went from being a chubby kid to a slim teenager. I took a dance class, got a growth spurt, and the next thing I realized, I was slim. But that is just not going to happen to me now. I'm 30+. I'm so busy that fitting in the basic exercise is an effort, not to mention all those extras I think about doing. And it's all too easy to eat foods that are overindulgent; the effort is in finding food that is lean and nutritious. I can't have this as a background goal, or I will, in my preoccupation with the many other activities in my life, just go for what's easiest.

Which explains the latter half of last week, when I fell off the wagon. Today is the start of a new week, and hopefully getting back on track.

Mission 1: Unlock Your True Motivation

The very first mission is to figure out our true motivation for weight loss. Most of us have many reasons we want to lose weight, but some of them are more motivating than others, in terms of helping us stay on track and overcome temptations. The task in this mission is to take fifteen minutes and write down every single motivator that we can come up with, then out of that list, identify the one that is more motivating. Then we need to come up with ways to remind ourselves of that motivation.

I found this task pretty tough. I had a good, long list of motivators, but figuring out which one was my TRUE motivation was not easy. There were several items that had to do with dancing--I take a tap class, and will be performing in a recital in June. How the costume fits, how I look dancing as an overweight person, and how out of breath I become after performing our more strenuous dance were all factors motivating me toward weight loss. I also thought about how I get a little stressed every time a dress-up occasion arrives, and I have to try and figure out what I have in my closet that looks dressy, fits and flatters my body. Any time I need to go shopping to refresh my wardrobe, I feel a sense of dread about having to shop for the same (or even bigger?!) size, instead of a smaller one. And that brings me to another point--I've been trying to lose weight for three years (well, longer, but we'll just go with three years) but I've actually gained weight in that time. But after considering all of those motivators, what it boiled down to for me was that I want to feel confident, not ashamed, about my body. Whether I'm dancing on a stage, at home with my husband, shopping for new clothes, or dressing up for Easter service at church, I'm ready to be done with a sense of shame over my size, because that is something that is within my ability to change. That is my motivation, and may I keep it in the forefront of my mind as I go about my day.

Why I'm Starting a Weight-Loss Blog

I've been pretty reluctant to ever do a weight-loss themed blog. For one thing, I think they can be pretty boring to read. For another, I think I've always been afraid to advertise my efforts to lose weight, because it can be awfully embarrassing when time goes by and I've had no success at all, and all of my acquaintances are aware of my failure. However, to be realistic, most of my friends know I'm trying to lose weight, so what's the difference if I blog about it?

This week, when my husband got the New iPad, I got his original iPad as a hand-me-down, and as most people probably do, I started immediately searching for cool new apps. Most of what I downloaded was free, but when I went searching for something that might help me with the goal of losing weight and getting healthy, I couldn't find any good, free apps. I did, however, find an app that looked very useful and was by far the most expensive app I have ever or will ever download. But the reviews were good, and I was tempted to try it. It's called 52 Weight Loss Missions. The idea is to, over time, complete 52 missions that will contribute to the overall goal of weight loss. Some of them are action-oriented, but many of them have more to do with the psychology of trying to lose weight. They are very practical and down-to-earth. I appreciate the author's approach, as well as her perspective--she has struggled with her weight most of her adult life, but eventually achieved success herself, not through any gimmicks or fads, but mostly by adjusting her thinking. She encourages users to journal or blog about their progress. I have NEVER been able to stick to a journal, so I thought I'd try a blog instead; I think I'll be more likely to keep up with it if I have readers (though they be few in number.)

So here we are! In the beginning, I plan to blog about the various missions we are assigned according to the app, and if I seem to be making any progress, of course I will include that in bold, capitalized letters (the online equivalent of shouting from the rooftops.)