Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 10

Celebrating Milestones

It’s time once again to reflect on the past week. Recently, we looked at how to stay motivated, smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, surviving the holidays while dieting, and the benefits of a 5% weight loss. Each week as I’ve explored these topics and shared them with you I’ve gained new skills to be successful on my WW Freestyle journey. When it comes to weight loss, a slow and steady pace always seems to win the race for long-term results and maintenance. However, that stable pace to the finish line can be frustrating at times, especially in the beginning of our journeys when the ultimate goal is so far away. The best way to avoid this frustration is to break up your goal into smaller, “milestones” that you can reach along the way. Having milestones and giving yourself recognition when you meet them, lets you reward yourself for the small changes and helps keep you on the right path to long-term weight loss success.

Celebrating Milestones

You commit to the journey.

Although it may feel premature to celebrate the very beginning of the journey, know that committing to change and becoming a better YOU is a big deal. Taking the first step is always the hardest. Many of us talk about doing however many of us never even give it a try. Once you’ve committed to making a change, write it down and share it with close friends and family. Which were the first two tips in the recent how to stay motivated post.

You complete your first weigh-in.

That first one can be grueling. It is a reality check. If you are like me and many others, you fear the truth and may prefer not to know. Even though that number might make you think negatively about yourself, try to see it as the starting line, a place to look back on to see how far you’ve come. I suggest that once you’ve completed your weigh-in that you take a before picture. You’ll appreciate having that photo to look back on. When you need encouragement, resolve, or inspiration, you can also look at the photo. Tell that person you’re moving on, making changes, and will never be back!

Your first wardrobe malfunction.

Maybe you notice that your pants start to slide down or droop in the behind or perhaps you look down and see that your shirts have some extra room in them that never existed before. When you have to tighten your belt a few notches. Whatever the case, when your clothes don’t fit anymore, you’ve passed another milestone and it’s time to celebrate. The best way to celebrate is to buy new clothes and get rid of old clothing. Goodwill is my go-to store for doing this.

You hit a weight-loss milestone.

Whether it’s 20, 50, 100 pounds lost or 5%, 10%, 20% of your body weight, whatever number you have in your head, you’re actually THERE. The benefits of just a 5% weight loss are significant and should be celebrated. Time to get a new outfit for date night with your special someone, take off your t-shirt at the pool, and be proud of what you’ve accomplished. When you hit a big weight milestone such as 100 pounds or 25% of your bodyweight it’s time to stop focusing on the scale and start focusing on getting stronger and faster. 

You receive your first “progress” compliment.

You get your first “You look great, have you lost weight?” comment. Boy does it feel good! You might be well into your journey before hearing your first progress compliment, especially if you are wearing layers of clothing. But when you do, embrace the positive reinforcement. Write them in a journal or put a sticky note on your mirror or fridge to read whenever you need to!

You complete an activity that you couldn’t do or that felt awkward before.

You run in your first race and survive. It doesn’t matter where you finish or if you had to use two walking poles, you signed up for a race, you trained for it, and then you did it. You join a sports team, start exercising with people that you know or begin walking in your neighborhood. You might still end up at the end of the lineup, in the back of the pack, or getting passed by the little old ladies down the block but that’s okay. Maybe your “awkward” is cutting your toenails, bending to tie your shoes, sitting on an airplane or movie theater seat, playing with your kids, etc. When doing these things is no longer uncomfortable or no longer creates anxiety, it’s time to celebrate your success. It’s time to celebrate! Join a league with your friends, sign up for a charity run/walk, or take a trip to the beach or park.

You overcome a plateau.

If you’ve ever come to a plateau during your weight loss journey, you know how absolutely frustrating and unmotivating they can be. A plateau can last as little as a week or as long as several months.  If you prepare yourself and understand that plateaus happen and that they are temporary, you’ll be better prepared to stay on track if and when you experience one. This is the time to take advantage of your support system; your friends and family. Remind yourself that your body is still changing on the inside regardless of whether you’re seeing results on the scale during a plateau! Once you do push through a plateau, treat yourself to a show, manicure, and celebrate with a fun get-together with the people who helped you stay strong through it.

You notice change on camera or in the mirror.

When I don’t feel good about myself, I avoid looking in the mirror, except when necessary. They say the camera adds 10 pounds, so that is something else that I avoid as much as possible. So if you are like many of us, you also find yourself avoiding being in photos or mirrors. We do this when we don’t feel comfortable with our appearance and weight. Although it may not be a fun experience, I highly recommend that you take photos at regular intervals throughout your journey so that you can see the progress as you experience change. Once you start to see the changes, you can really start appreciating the transformation that you are making. Celebrate by having a makeover or posing for a professional photo to display in your home.

People start to ask YOU for advice.

When others see our success, they will often ask for advice so that they can obtain it also. When people ask for advice they actually think you’re smarter and more knowledgeable. Those who give advice effectively wield soft influence while still empowering others to act. When people start asking you how to do push-ups properly, about eating healthy, or how to get rid of a muffin top, embrace your star power. Treat yourself to a gym membership, a class at the local Y, or a season pass for the community pool.

You fit into your skinny jeans.

Dress, jeans, shorts… We all have that certain piece of clothing stashed in the closet from our thinner days that we want to be able to fit into again. There is something about that piece of clothing that makes us feel good about our appearance. When it fits, celebrate by doing something else that also makes you feel good about your appearance. A haircut, manicure, massage, waxing, whatever you choose, it should make you feel great and boost your self-esteem! For more non-food ways to celebrate your milestones check out this post.

Be sure to capture your magical moments at home! You can get some beautiful backdrops that are very affordable to capture your milestone memories.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

After my setback two weeks ago and my recovery last week, I started this week with a new determination. Even if there was still candy in the house from Easter, I was determined not to let it get the best of me and stay focused on my next milestone. I’ve already lost 5% of my starting weight and have now lost over 20 pounds in the first 8 weeks. Now in my tenth week,  I’m now working on reaching a 10% loss. I know that it will take time so I will celebrate smaller milestones along the way.

After surviving Easter and my Mother’s birthday at my parents’ house without any major food bombs, this week was busy and challenging. Our twin grandchildren came home with us Easter Sunday. Our grandson went to his great-grandparents Tuesday but our granddaughter stayed for her entire Spring break. Two days were spent traveling for appointments and rain kept us inside for a few days. We did get to work in the garden and plant seeds before the rain came. Now, we just have to make sure they stay watered for the next few weeks and wait. The week seemed to fly by and before I knew it was Sunday afternoon and the moment of truth was here. I got on the scale for my weekly weigh-in. I was pleased to find that I had lost 2 pounds! Grandchildren and rainy days – survived! Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

Where are you?

Where are you on your journey? What milestones do you celebrate? Have I forgotten any?

Share your thoughts below or on my Facebook fan page.

I am not a medical professional. The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 9 – Surviving Holidays While Dieting