#2053 WW Wednesday (on Thursday): 10 years

6/7/08. It's a catchy date, and one I will always remember because it is the day I joined Weight Watchers. What I remember is that I had been thinking about joining for a month or so, looking at the website and figuring out where the meeting place closest to my house was. It was a Saturday morning just a couple of days after my 42nd birthday and I left early while everyone was still asleep here at home and I drove myself over, paid the fee, got all the booklets and stuff, sat through that first meeting and told myself I was going to lose 100 pounds.

Today is 6/7/18, 10 years since that first meeting. I can't even tell you how many meetings I have attended. I've been through probably half a dozen leaders and a fortunate move by the WW center to a location much closer to my house. I haven't lost 100 lbs, but I did lose 75 lbs and thought I could handle the rest on my own. I couldn't. I gained a bunch of it back, but I had the sense to get back to the program before all of that weight came back on board.

I have been all in, sort of in, and not at all in the game at various times over the years. Now, 10 years later, I am down close to 60 lbs. I still want to lose that 100 lbs. Every ounce that comes off makes me happy. Every week when I weigh in and see a smaller number than the week before, I feel great. When I have a gain, I feel sad, but I don't feel as devastated as I have in the past. I know that I can get back on track. I have learned to be a bit more patient and kind to myself because putting on all that weight took time and taking it off will take even more time. I'm okay that it's coming off slowly because I really want it to be gone forever.

Here are a few photos:

I'm at my heaviest weight in these first two photos.

April 2008

 I look happy in the April photo but that was probably because I'd just had a good meal and a cold beer or two with my family in San Diego.

June 2008

T took this photo of me in Yellowstone Park.

Here I am at my lowest weight:

February 2010

MT took this photo while we were on vacation in Barbados (on the way to Palm Island).

It was probably in 2011 or 2012 that I decided to quit WW. I steadily started gaining weight and realized I needed to get back to the program in probably January 2014.

January 2014

Nothing like a bathroom selfie! I think the look on my face pretty much says it all.

I couldn't find many full-body photos of myself except for this one from April this year:

April 2018

I just celebrated my birthday and took this silly selfie:

June 2018

It's been a journey. It's a lifestyle. I still eat cheeseburgers and sugar cookies, the only difference is that now I try to balance my meals so that I don't feel over-full. I mean, it still happens; I'm human and old habits die hard. Overall I am proud of myself. I am happy to say that I am healthier, stronger and more fit at 52 than I was at 42. There is still effort to be made and pounds to be removed. It's gonna happen.