Support Network
I touched on this in my last post but want to write a whole post on having a solid support network.
In the past, when I dieted, I never really told anyone for fear of failure (which ultimately always happened) and I didn't want to face that with anyone else. I realized this time that I needed to tell people because otherwise I was going to fail again, I needed people to know what I was doing so I stuck to it.
Part of MyFitnessPal (MFP) is becoming part of a network and losing weight with other people. That is where my Knot friends came into play. There are about 25 of us using MFP. Every Thursday we do a check in to see how everyone is doing but during the week we can read the MFP feed as to who is checking in, what exercise they are up to and how well they are sticking to their calorie goals. In addition to that, a few of my girl friends in Toronto have also started the program which has been a really wonderful support too.
Beyond that, my husband has been the biggest support at home. He eats whatever food I cook, puts up with my whining when I really want a bowl of ice cream but can't and most importantly, pushes me to exercise. I will talk more about the Couch to 5K running program another day but even though Jeff can run (and run a distance) but he did the entire 9 week program with me so that I'd have someone to run with. I went from not being able to run longer than one minute to being able to run close to 5K. He made me get off the couch and run at least 3 days a week and I know there is a good chance I wouldn't have stuck to it without him.
My family has also been there for me. Most of the summer we spend weekends at our family cottage which means I'm not in control of what food has been purchased. Luckily, my family has always purchased healthy food but my mom often checks in with me to make sure what she's buying is okay for me to eat. Both of my parents get a call every time I weigh in (about every 2 weeks) and they are always so excited and have been so supportive of me doing this. Even my dad has started to lose weight! My mother-in-law takes the time to alter dresses for me without hesitation and my brother has offered to start training me again - for free - something I quit after my wedding last summer. They are all surrounding me with so much love and support.
For anyone out there thinking about losing a few pounds or losing a lot of weight, I can't stress enough how important it is to have a support network around you. People to support you, push you and be there for you when you have a tough day. I know that I wouldn't have been able to do this without these people. When I reach my goals, they will be the first people I thank. It is is much their weight loss as it is mine.
In the past, when I dieted, I never really told anyone for fear of failure (which ultimately always happened) and I didn't want to face that with anyone else. I realized this time that I needed to tell people because otherwise I was going to fail again, I needed people to know what I was doing so I stuck to it.
Part of MyFitnessPal (MFP) is becoming part of a network and losing weight with other people. That is where my Knot friends came into play. There are about 25 of us using MFP. Every Thursday we do a check in to see how everyone is doing but during the week we can read the MFP feed as to who is checking in, what exercise they are up to and how well they are sticking to their calorie goals. In addition to that, a few of my girl friends in Toronto have also started the program which has been a really wonderful support too.
Beyond that, my husband has been the biggest support at home. He eats whatever food I cook, puts up with my whining when I really want a bowl of ice cream but can't and most importantly, pushes me to exercise. I will talk more about the Couch to 5K running program another day but even though Jeff can run (and run a distance) but he did the entire 9 week program with me so that I'd have someone to run with. I went from not being able to run longer than one minute to being able to run close to 5K. He made me get off the couch and run at least 3 days a week and I know there is a good chance I wouldn't have stuck to it without him.
My family has also been there for me. Most of the summer we spend weekends at our family cottage which means I'm not in control of what food has been purchased. Luckily, my family has always purchased healthy food but my mom often checks in with me to make sure what she's buying is okay for me to eat. Both of my parents get a call every time I weigh in (about every 2 weeks) and they are always so excited and have been so supportive of me doing this. Even my dad has started to lose weight! My mother-in-law takes the time to alter dresses for me without hesitation and my brother has offered to start training me again - for free - something I quit after my wedding last summer. They are all surrounding me with so much love and support.
For anyone out there thinking about losing a few pounds or losing a lot of weight, I can't stress enough how important it is to have a support network around you. People to support you, push you and be there for you when you have a tough day. I know that I wouldn't have been able to do this without these people. When I reach my goals, they will be the first people I thank. It is is much their weight loss as it is mine.
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