Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Don't be a Debbie Downer!!



This week's WW meeting started off on a bad foot. There was a lady there, one I'd never seen before .. And she had a big, dark, thunderstormy cloud above her head ..


Our (awesome!!) leader Leslie began the meeting as always: energetically asking the group how our week had been. There were a bunch of head nods, a couple of enthusiastic "good!"'s, a few shy "great!"'s ...


... And then Debbie Downer piped up. "My week was great until I came here!". The room went silent. It seemed in that split second that all the positive energy in the room got sucked away.


So Leslie asked Debbie to elaborate, and she goes on to explain, "I was really good this week. I worked really hard and I only lost a pound. I'm not impressed!".


I had to remind myself not to sigh loudly or shake my head at this woman's negativity. She lost a pound and she was mad?! Really! (No judgment here on my behalf - just genuine shock and disbelief at how this woman was putting herself down!)


Weight loss, when done properly, is not supposed to happen overnight. No matter how hard you work at ensuring you make only smart food decisions, no matter how much you go to the gym, no matter how many donuts you turned down that week - it will be a slow process (and again I reiterate - it will be a slow but steady process when done properly. Crash dieters need not read further!)


A healthy weight loss will be anywhere between 0.5 lbs - 2 lbs per week (of course, that can fluctuate week to week - everybody loses weight differently!).


So Debbie Downer was right where she needed to be and she was upset. Hmm.


It's hard not to hope to see a large loss each week on the scale. Remember though - even if you see a smaller loss than you were hoping for, one pound lost is better than one pound gained! And even if you only lose half a pound a week - that's two pounds a month and a HUGE 24 pounds in one year!


Also, always remember to take your measurements. In all your exercising, you could be losing weight but putting on muscle, which could result in a maintained weight on the scale but a loss in inches!


A healthy diet and a steady exercise routine will reward you with your weight loss - but also with better physical and mental well-being, more energy, and a whole bunch of other benefits. Even if you don't see the results you were hoping for on the scale, know that with all your hard work, your body and health are better for it and they are thanking you!


So ladies and gents: be proud of every pound you lose. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step .. And the journey of (10? 30? 140?) pounds lost begins with ONE!


Don't Debbie Doubt yourself!





4 comments:

  1. 100% agree. Pick up a pound of butter at the grocery store, and that's what's gone from her this week. That stick of butter isn't minimal.

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  2. I enjoyed reading that Laura. I have'nt owned a scale in 25 years. I did'nt know just how much weight I had accumulated until that checkup when Bailey was in Gr. 1. The nurse cheerfully announced I was 185 pds, and still 5ft.and 2 ins. My jaw dropped so hard. I vowed then and there to change my ways. Never got a scale just changed my habits. Still no scale in my house just common sense. A doc in Ottawa told me to get rid of my scale because excercising builds muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. A scale can be deceiving. So I did. If I wanted to get on one there is one at the gym. I have only used it once.

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  3. Centimeters-and kilos-my dear. You're Canadian.

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    1. WW does things by lbs and inches so .. I'm trained that way too lol

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