Change Management

First, thanks for the encouraging words. It helps so much to know I have people rooting for me, who know what I’m going through.

If my weight problem were solely due to my husband’s behavior, then I would have lost all the weight while he was working out of town. His behavior does contribute, but I am responsible – both for my actions and also for the feelings that drive those actions.

But this has got me thinking about what a big change losing weight is for so many of us. And the biggest change isn’t the weight we lose – it’s the way we change: how we spend our time, the activities we want to take part in with friends & family, the way we eat, the way we view ourselves. Those are huge – and our spouse or kids or whoever, they didn’t sign up for it. It’s not like we held a committee meetings, looked at the long and short term outcomes, and had a vote. Let’s face it: I bet most people have no clue what they are signing up for when they decide to drop a few pounds. I had no idea how much my life would change.

Don’t get me wrong – all the changes are worth it, and for the better. I feel better, I look better, I’m healthier. I’m enjoying my life more. But I certainly understand when families get hurt or angry or just plain confused – they never saw it coming.

I had a nice weekend – food was good. Exercise was okay – 3 mile run Saturday, but hub rode without me yesterday. I had so much to do and so little time to do it (I worked 5 hours yesterday), so I told him to go ahead & bike without me. He really enjoyed it – it was a nice morning.

There is so much to do to get ready for this vacation. Son’s clothes are packed, the kitchen is packed, and I started on my clothes. The weather is so unpredictable, and I need clothes for working, fighting, and looking nice. It’s a lot of stuff to pack! Hub is making us some nice wooden camp chairs (I’ll take pictures Jack!) – he is nearly done with those.

I have a somewhat strict food plan for the week – we have a clan meal plan for next week. I helped plan the food, but I know I will eat more than normal (something about living outside) and not as well. Oh, and the alcohol will be flowing freely in the party atmosphere of camp every night. Luckily this is once a year!!

But for this week, I have my food all planned, purchased, & prepped for the week. I have set myself up for success, and I have given myself permission to weigh less than 150. That may sound silly, but like I’ve written before, I have a lot reasons to treat my extra weight as a security blanket. I feel a little like I’m 3 and giving up my wubby.

Here are some pics of the boy's room redo - didn't it come out great?