Yay, Me!

I try not to make this website about me but rather a way to share ideas, tips, tricks and inspiration that are helping me along my journey and could be of help to you too. That being said…this particular post IS about me personally. After several days of debating whether or not to write about my own recent weight loss experience, I heard myself say something during one of my virtual workshops that stopped me in my tracks. It made me rethink my hesitation and I decided I should share.

WW workshops are a key component to weight loss and weight maintenance success because gaining support from others who share like goals and are going through similar experiences is extremely powerful. There is absolutely no doubt the most effect workshops are the ones where the members speak up and share.

I’m pretty good about sharing my challenges, but sometimes I hold back my own celebrations out of fear of sounding vain or arrogant. I can’t think of two character traits I’d less like to be thought of as EVER! But as I tell anyone attending my workshops, we all need and want to hear good news, especially now. In our WW world of managing our weight and our health, sharing an accomplishment and how it’s been achieved is not egotistical. Instead, it’s proof it can be done! It reinforces that if we stick with healthy behaviors and don’t stop or quit, even when we feel like it’s “not working” the results will show up!

So here’s my celebration:

Over the past 13 weeks, I’ve shed 15 pounds, putting me comfortably back under my WW goal weight. YAHOO! Creeping up slowly over time, I was able to rationalize and justify gaining a few pounds here and there for all kinds of reasons that seemed very valid in my own mind. The wake up call came when I alarmingly realized I was no longer avoiding one or two pairs of pants or a dress or two that was too tight….I was avoiding at least half the clothes in my closet. I’ve been a WW Coach for over 18 years….I know how this works. The trajectory of my weight became crystal clear and I knew all too well where it was headed if I didn’t change course.

Couple that realization with the first week of sheltering in place, working from home, spending everyday steps from my kitchen and nervous about the future of our country, it was evident I had two choices. I could either eat my way through this time of worry, uncertainty and stress or I could spend the time reworking my eating, activity and mindset patterns to help me get back to my goal weight. I knew I needed a new normal before the pandemic hit. My old routines that had kept me at goal were either not working anymore or I wasn’t working them the same way. Either way, I was in need of balance between enjoying life AND maintaining a healthy weight. The more prayerful thought I gave the situation, the more I could see it as a real opportunity to take control of what I could change, while taking the focus off the many external situations I couldn’t change.

Fifteen pounds might not sound like much, but it feels like A LOT. My energy level has noticeably increased and I feel like myself again. All of my clothes fit comfortably and some are even too big. This is a huge accomplishment for me. As my clothes were getting tighter and tighter and I continued to let it slide through denial, I knew in my heart I wasn’t being true to myself. There are few things as frustrating as our actions not only feeling out of control, but also being out of line with our goals and desires.

My WHY is two parts. First, I live my best life when I feel comfortable in my own skin and for me, that means being at a healthy weight. I simply handle the rest of my life better when I am in control of my eating and I feel good in my clothes. I’m a better mom, wife, freind and co worker because I have more to give when I feel good. The second part of WHY I choose to do what it takes to manage my weight and health is to share what I learn and help others overcome the struggle too. I spent so many of my early years in life being ashamed of my weight and hiding from it. I never wish those feelings on anyone. That all changed when I found my WW tribe. I stopped feeling isolated, alone and embarrassed about my eating and my body. Thanks to my WW Coach, Shelly, and our Thursday night group all those years ago, I began to understand I could achieve and sustain a healthy weight and do it in a way that’s completely livable and enjoyable. So that’s what I’ve done and if you haven’t already discovered this for yourself, YOU CAN TOO! I’ve dedicated a big part of my life to being a WW Coach and writing about my experiences to give back what’s been so generously given to me.

SOOOOO, that’s my latest update! The recent recipes I’ve been sharing have helped me TREMENDOUSLY and I have many more to post! My motivation for doing so is to help anyone out there who resonates with my experiences. We’ve got this. If I can do it, ANYONE can and I’m here to help!!

All is well❤️

Terra Ayres,

Wellness Coach