Let’s Try This Again

Last night I wrote a blog post on being the fat one.  But once I had it out of my system, I saw how overly whiny it was, not to mention self-absorbed.  My friend Phyllis calls it navel gazing and she’s right.  I deleted the post this morning.

So let’s try this again.

I had an epiphany of sorts last night (though this is Advent, not Epiphany, so maybe it needs a different name).   I just agreed to chair the program committee for my national association’s annual conference in 2011.  It will be a ton of work but also a lot of fun.  I’ve served on the committee before as a member and certainly have attended most of the conferences since joining years ago, so feel pretty prepared as to content.

But I do have a previous experience chairing a national conference for a different organization.  When I finished that year and stood up in front of the gathering to talk about the program, I was at my highest weight in my life.    I had allowed the program committee work and stress to take over and I ate and ate to help me deal.  When I came down from the podium to my seat, I vowed that I did not want to feel as bloated and uncomfortable the following year when I chaired the entire conference.

That was my turning point.  I joined WW within two months and had lost 67 lbs by the following spring when I went to my meeting.  The motivation wasn’t to LOOK better, though certainly that was part of it.  But really it was about how I felt and dealt with stress.  Eating better and getting regular exercise (what a concept to pair those up!) made a difference.

So now I’m facing the same type of situation.  Because they are so similar, it’s easier for me to look back and say, hmmm, remember then?  remember what you felt and said and did?  Why not try it now, too?   My goal is to lose 10% of my current weight by July 2010 when I have my first “stand up in front of people to talk about program” activities, with the bulk of the stress coming after that point.  I want good but not obessive habits back in place and a realistic plan.  I think I found it.