Solving problems

[pegkerr]

Tell me about a problem you have had in your life that for years seemed insoluable until one day you got fed up and tackled it once and for all and, to your surprise, got the problem licked.

How did it feel to solve the insoluable problem?

I could use some inspiration.

Comments

[kerryp.livejournal.com]

I want to congratulate you and wish you luck with the rest of your goal! We are of like ages and weights. I am a short person who weighs 189 pounds. In 1994, I weighed 125 pounds. In 2001, I weighed 155 pounds. I am not liking the trend. My doctor and partner have both urged me to lose weight, but like you, I consider dieting to be punishment, and I don't feel I have done anything worth punishing. I am curious as to whether you think you could have done it without Weight Watchers (e.g., just by watching portion), or if joining Weight Watchers was that important to the process? Congrats again, and keep up the good work.

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I think I needed Weight Watchers. I don't think everyone needs it or that it's a cure-all, and certainly if you have the self-discipline, you can follow a very similar plan on your own. I didn't feel I had the self-discipline; I'm very good at rationalizing things to myself (I can eat another handful of chips and salsa, 'cause salsa is no-fat; I deserve a candy bar because I've been good; I had a salad for lunch, so that was healthy, right?).

WW helps me with a couple of things. First off is honesty. The weekly weigh-ins are part of it, but writing down every scrap of food I eat is another. And being honest about portion sizes. It's much easier for me to be honest when I know I'm going to step up on the scale at the end of the week. And I have an incentive not to be dishonest with myself, because when I'm honest, the results are good.

Second is the points, which make it relatively easy to figure out what I can eat and make choices accordingly. It means that I can have, say, a slice of the hazelnut chocolate meringue cake with ganache frosting, or a serving of fries, or a fabulous French meal -- I just have to make sure I cut back somewhere else during that week.

And third is the encouragement and the acknowledgement that this is a long-term process, which will take time to accomplish (6 months so far) and won't be "finished" just because I hit my goal weight. I feel like WW is teaching me how to make good choices for the rest of my life. Not limitations, but choices.

However. If you are self-disciplined, if you're good at figuring up portion sizes and calories and so on, and if you are willing to be stern with yourself, you could probably do it on your own.

Good luck!