Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember how I got to be almost 270 pounds.
But then we go to a sporting event (okay, okay, Disney on Ice), my mother sneaks off and buys me a giant pretzel, and then when I refuse her offering, continues to ask me every ten minutes if I’m “sure” I don’t want “just a piece” of the pretzel.
Of course I WANT a piece of the pretzel. In fact, I wanted to devour that pretzel…and then eat hers, too. But I know that even though they’re a “healthier” option than, say, the snack bar’s box o’ nachos or the $9 cheeseburger, the pretzels are still loaded with empty calories (not to mention six million grams of carbs).
I also know that I didn’t find the time to work out earlier that day, and that I’ll be dining out with friends for the next two nights before my Sunday morning weigh-in….and need to save my calories (or “POINTS,” as my fellow Weight Watchers know) for wine with my boyfriend and rum and Diet Cokes with my girlfriends.
So even though I try hard not to deny myself anything I truly want, I knew that it really wasn’t the best idea for me to be stuffing my face with pretzel last night…especially since I had licked my dinner plate clean not two hours earlier.
I hate to be one to quote a reality television show, but there was an episode of The Biggest Loser towards the end of last season where trainers Bob and Jillian took the remaining contestants out to a Mexican restaurant. The premise was that it was a way to celebrate their success so far and shoot the breeze with their hard-core trainers outside of the gym, but the true lesson was in learning how to dine out at a restaurant and still remain in control of food selections and portion sizes.
One of the contestants (who happened to be my age) ended up breaking down. She went off on a rant about how all she wants is to wear cute clothes, and she hates that it’s so difficult for her to lose weight, and she resents that she’ll have to be mindful of every morsel she puts into her mouth for the rest of her life.
Blah blah blah, join the club.
But Jillian’s response to this outburst really stuck with me, and has honestly been helping me through these moments where all I want to do is throw my hands up and say “it’s just ONE gigantic, doughy pretzel”…why not?
Jillian essentially told this contestant that, yes, it’s hard work, but you have to think about each and every one of your healthy choices as just another step towards your goal. If you look around and see everyone else gorging themselves on gooey nachos and slurping oversize margaritas, you may feel that twinge of jealousy (and that’s okay!), but you just have to remember that you’re working towards something…and eating your way through the basket of chips and salsa is not the way to meet your goals.
She said that if you lose sight of WHY you opt for the salad over the enchiladas, or an evening at the gym instead of parked in front of the television, then weight loss just feels like torture.
And she’s absolutely right.
I’ve let my goals fall by the wayside for nearly a year, and it’s time to refocus, recommit, and remember why it is I’m doing this in the first place. I’m worth the effort. Oh, and in case you were curious…I didn’t touch the pretzel. Not one bite.
I’m one step closer to my goal weight, and to my hot new bikini bod. ;-D
