What is your why?
Many of you know that I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. I lost 25 pounds and have managed to keep it off (give or take five pounds) for more than 10 years now. Here is my observation. Losing weight is exciting—challenging and maddening, yes—but never boring. Maintaining weight, on the other hand, while somewhat satisfying, is not sexy. It’s hard to keep motivated for the daunting task of “staying the same” for a lifetime.
In last week’s Weight Watchers meeting, our leader asked us to think about this question: What is your why? Why do you keep coming to meetings week after week, keep tracking points, keep exercising…keep picking yourself up after each fall?
Of course, this question can be extended to include anything you are trying to accomplish. Keeping your “why” always in the forefront is crucial to finding the motivation to keep going when you feel like throwing in the towel.
So here goes…my “why” when it comes to Weight Watchers. The simple answer is to maintain my weight for a lifetime, but let’s dig a little deeper. Why do I want to maintain my weight? So I can remain active and healthy as I age—for as long as I live. And, let’s be honest, so I can look good. I’ll tackle each of these one at a time.
1. So I can remain active. Why do I want to be active; why not be content sitting on the couch reading and books and watching television as I get older? I mean I like those things—a lot. Because I want to remain independent for as long as possible. I want to be able to care for myself well into old age. Also, I want to experience as much of this life as I can, and that requires fitness, strength, and balance.
2. So I can remain healthy. Why do I want to be healthy? Well, that one’s easy. I want to feel good and avoid pain. Also, I’d like to spend my money traveling and experiencing life, not on doctors and medication.
3. So I can look good. Why do I care if I look good? I’m well past the age of hoping to look like a super model. I already have a husband whom I love and who loves me. I’m pretty sure all the important people in my life will love me even if I gain weight. I puzzled over this one for a while; why do I care how I look? I think it comes down to this. For whatever reason, the better I look, the more confident I feel. The more confident I feel, the happier I am and the more open I am to putting myself out there, to trying new things, meeting new challenges.
So in a nutshell, when you get to the heart of things, my Weight Watchers “Whys” are these:
- to maintain independence
- to experience life to the fullest
- to feel good (avoid discomfort)
Those are pretty good reasons to keep going, however, difficult the journey.
Your turn
What are you working on that is challenging, but worthwhile? What is your why?
Congratulations on losing the weight and keeping it off! I would like to lose weight for basically all of those same reasons. I keep telling my husband we need to lose weight and exercise so we can have some retirement years together traveling and having fun.
Thank you Teresa for taking the time to respond. Weight Watchers has worked well for me, in part because of the focus on maintenance once the weight has been lost. Good luck!
Excellent article. I have gained a few pounds over the past year and although others say I look fine, I feel horrible. I may not be large to everyone, but I feel the extra poundage in everything I do, The thought of eating makes me physically ill. But I know one has to eat to live. I also know that starving ones self is not the way to loose weight. Quite the contrary. Very informative. Thank you for sharing with #blogginggrandmothers. I have shared on social media. I can’t wait to see what you come up with for the next party. See you next time and bring a blogging friend.
Thank you Clearissa. Weight is such a tricky emotional thing. I personally love Weight Watchers because it focuses on the whole person, not just nutrition (though that’s an important part of it too). I love the blogging parties and look forward to the next one as well. See you there!
Weight Watchers has changed so much over the years. Always a life style change. Congratulations on the weight lose. Thanks for linking up with Blogging Grandmothers.
Thanks Candy. I find that so much of what we talk about in Weight Watchers–like keeping your why in the forefront–applies to other important areas of my life as well, so that’s an extra bonus. Thank you for stopping by. I love the link parties for the opportunity to meet new people and find new blogs.
I’ve never been to weight watchers, but for as long as I can remember I’ve watched my weight. I’m naturally pretty thin but I’ve still always worried about it. And I’ve often heard girls learn this from our mom’s example, but I don’t ever remember mom stressing about her weight. That being said I (usually) enjoy working out and I know it helps improve my health and my mood.
Interesting point. I wonder where we got it from. It seems to me, though, you have a pretty healthy way of going about it. You never deprive yourself of the things you love. You just eat small amounts.
I remember mom being on diets a lot when we first moved to Utah from California, so maybe you were both too young to know consciously, but picked it up subliminally. I’m working to lose the weight I put on after surgery, and I’m about halfway there. Down a size, which makes me feel great. Getting back in shape has proven difficult and I don’t yet know how to incorporate exercise into my life again, especially with work and dissertation demands. Consistency has always been difficult for me. But, I want all those things that are in your why, even more now that I have experienced a small taste of being unhealthy. It’s a conundrum.
Now that you say that, Connie, I do vaguely remember Mom’s diets. What I really remember though is our diets–you, me, and Margie–or more precisely the days before the diets, eating everything in sight in preparation for the deprivation! Of course, we were young then. If I tried that now, I’d be as big as a house for sure. Still, some fun memories. I love you!
Your why are the perfect answers, same answers I’d choose. Congrats on the weight loss and maintaining as it’s so hard to do. Thanks Christie from Grammy Dee, #BloggingGrandmothers #LinkUp #BlogParty, social media shared.
Thank you! It’s a challenge at times, but worth the effort.