I last checked in with everyone about my weight loss journey in February just before we left for Mexico. At that point I was 7 pounds away from my goal weight, which is an arbitrary number for me – it’s the top end of the Weight Watchers scale for my height and allows me to stop paying to go to meetings. How have I done since then? I haven’t suffered, which is the whole point of making a permanent lifestyle change.

If you can’t stay at goal weight you lose your job. Sort of reminds me of a Stephen King story I once read, but I believe losing body parts was involved.

If you read my blogs from Mexico you know there was LOTS of good food, mucho margaritas and a cerveza or two. I countered all those goodies with all the exercise I could manage between meals and adult beverages; daily walks, hiking, snorkeling and swimming. When we returned a month later I had gained one pound. I was ecstatic. That pound easily came off, as well as an additional five pounds since. I am now a couple of pounds from my Weight Watchers goal, or actually a pound away from the buffer they allow as a lifetime member. So the good news is that I’ll be able to stop paying for meetings. But wait, there’s more!

I have been thinking long and hard about how best to keep myself honest once I get to goal. I’m sure I’ve said it before; I’m more of a project person than a process person; once a project is done I want to move on to the next thing. But the next thing can’t mean that I revert back to my old habits and pack the pounds back on.

Watching everything I put in my mouth is exhausting, and keeping to WW “Good Health Guidelines” AND having a martini once in a while is damned near impossible, and for me a slippery slope. So what is a girl to do to stay motivated? For me the accountability is key. Once I become a lifetime member I have to weigh in once per month to maintain my lifetime status. If my weight fluctuates during the month but I get it under control before my weigh-in, life is good. If not, I’d have to pay. I asked my meeting leader if I could weigh in weekly, and she said I could, but just the first weigh in of the month would be the key to remaining at goal. That could work. Another option? Go to work for Weight Watchers. If you can’t stay at goal weight you lose your job. Sort of reminds me of a Stephen King story I once read, but I believe losing body parts was involved.

So I attended a group conference call led by an area recruiter to learn more about working for Weight Watchers, and I’ve had one phone interview, which I have to say went very well. I’m waiting to hear back from an Area Manager for an additional interview. I’m used to this; it’s sort of like running the Bush Brothers hiring gauntlet without the psych evaluation.

I’m enjoying retirement way too much to go back to work fulltime. A couple of days a week would be fine, subbing for leaders who need a day off works for me, or a ‘Weight Watchers at Work’ gig could be a blast. And as part of the job I have to maintain my weight, while helping others reach their goals. And I get to facilitate meetings and talk to lots of people! And sell something! What fun!

So have I traded one ‘project’ for another? Maybe. But sometimes we just have to do what we know will work for us. And it’s probably better for my marriage if I focus on a class of Weight Watchers actually working on their goals than to try to convince my husband that chocolate chip pancakes are not a power food.

Wish me luck!

Deborah