Confession time: I've been riding the Struggle Bus for the last couple of months. I boarded this crazy bus on May 7th with a small weight gain and just kept on riding it through all the end of year activities and part of the summer with my kids. I used events that popped up on my usual weigh-in day (Tuesday) as excuses why I couldn't go to the meeting (never mind that there are meetings every single day of the week) and I ate accordingly (including all the things I hadn't been eating since I joined WW...you know, like you do right before you start a new diet...kinda like the last meal, only I had a whole bunch of those!). I kept telling myself I'd jump off the Struggle Bus at the next stop (aka weigh-in day), but each week I just rolled right past that stop and just kept on riding the Struggle Bus!
Each week, I told myself that I'd get myself back on track and then go back to WW meetings. But every week, I found new reasons (excuses) why I couldn't quite get back on track....money (high-fat foods are cheaper), schedule (something always came up), special events (who wants to watch what you eat at a party?). Thankfully, I have this sweet friend who knows the struggle well and she loved me through all of it while constantly encouraging me to get off that Struggle Bus and back on the Weight Loss Train!
Full disclosure...I have not tracked one bite (except the counting I sorta, kinda did in my head...well, sometimes) and I have not been 100% consistent with using Plexus, either (though I was more consistent with that than I was my eating). If it hadn't been for my friend stubbornly refusing to allow me to stay on the struggle bus (thank you!), I might have gone all the way back to where I was 10 months ago (shudder!). But this morning, I got my butt out of bed and got to the very last meeting of the week! And I kid you not...this was the topic:
SERIOUSLY?!? Talk about God reading my mail...just when I needed it most, this was the topic of the week! I literally laughed out loud when I saw it...and told the lady weighing me in about my journey on the Struggle Bus. After a brief conversation, she gently said, "When you're ready..." indicating that she was ready for me to step on the scale...so I took a deep breath & gently stepped on with my eyes closed (as if any of that would shield me from the reality of what I had done). As I stepped off the scale, she revealed my fate...I had gained 6.4 pounds. YIKES! I was MORTIFIED!!! All that work undone! BUT...I have some friends who are with me on this journey and when I shared my weigh-in with them, they pointed out that it took me almost 2 months to gain that...and I've had weeks when I've lost 3 pounds in a single week, so I can recover from this! I was so embarrassed to reveal my failure, and these amazing friends supported and encouraged me! Folks, if you are trying to make changes in your life (whether it be weight loss or something else), get yourself a village of supporters who will love you through both the ups and the downs...and encourage you to keep going no matter what! My leader also said in the meeting this morning that we should expect to gain as we go on this journey. This is a new way of living...and there will be some ups and downs along our journey. So, the time has come for me to step off the Struggle Bus. Will I get back on it again? Probably...but maybe next time I won't ride it so long! :)
