Hackneyed; Nevertheless True

* If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten.  - Jane Kirkpatrick

* Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.  - Albert Einstein

I am a 40something married woman who is an alcohol and drug counselor and a first-semester graduate student in psychology.  Because of the rigorous nature of a psychology student's education and eventual work as a therapist, our professors have been encouraging us to engage in therapy.  So I've been seeing a doctoral student from my school for a couple of weeks and I've already had some insights.  One of the biggest was the realization that I don't follow my own advice!  Every day I encourage my clients to:

• Try something new
• Journal
• Find a support group
• Focus on the positive

I joined Weight Watchers in June of 2010 and have reached the 15 pounds lost mark several times during these past two years, only to sneak back up again.  I found myself thinking that my goal is impossible and wanted to give up.  On my way to my weekly Weight Watchers meeting yesterday, dreading the scale, I had an epiphany:  I need to do something new.  I need to journal.  I need to increase my support.  I need to focus on the positive.

Here are the commitments I am making in pursuit of my weight loss goal; I will:

1. Track my Weight Watchers Points Plus (PP) every day

2. Fulfill "Healthy Checks" (HCs) every day

3. Blog about my progress every day (journaling)

4. Attend at least two Weight Watchers meetings each week

5. Exercise at least four times each week

So, here are my stats as of yesterday’s weigh-in and measurements:

• 197.6 pounds – 12 pounds lost since starting the program on June 3, 2010.
• Waist:  40 inches
• Hips: 45.5 inches
• Thighs: 25.5 inches
• Arms: 14 inches
• Points Plus Target: 28

Yesterday I used 32 PP total.  I also got 4 out of 6 HCs completed; I only got four out of six vegetables/fruits and I did not exercise.

Last night, I tracked down the second meeting that I will attend; it will be on Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

I'm feeling different today; I'm sure that fulfilling these commitments will help me reach my goal.  If you're reading this, I would love to know about your own journey.  What are you doing in pursuit of your goals?  Do you have any tips or tricks?  Do you have a blog? I hope that this blog will help me to build more support.

I'll be blogging every night; the main purpose is to talk about my progress toward ideal health, but I'll write about graduate school, therapy, etc. along the way.