Exes and Motivation Part II

So my first stop back on "The Road to Healthy Inspired by J" was Weight Watchers.  I've still been paying for the monthly pass.  When I went back in March, I went to a daytime meeting as it was during my spring break.  I fell in love with the leader.  So, I went back to the same meeting.  Thankfully the same leader was there and she even remembered me.  That's how amazing this lady is.  I honestly could cry thinking about it.

I've been through many, many, MANY Weight Watchers leaders.  Most of them have been wonderful.  Some of them have just been...meh.  This woman is like the Grand Supreme Amazing Goddess Leader to end all leaders.

She greets you the moment you walk in and makes you feel like an old friend.  She doesn't just say, "Hi, how are you?  Did you have a good week?"  Oh, no.  She asks questions about who YOU are, what makes you tick, what you are struggling with.   It's not something I am able to articulate incredibly well, but her personality is amazing.  It makes my heart hurt that in just a few short weeks, I won't be able to attend her meeting anymore except during breaks.

I left that meeting feeling so inspired and listened to.

To top that off, this woman with striking blue eyes, a really smart suit, and adorable vintage-y hair stopped me after the meeting and asked me if I get told all the time that I look like Vivian Leigh.  She then proceeded to tell me how beautiful I am.  We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and asked if we would both be coming back to the same meeting next week.  This has NEVER happened to me in all my years and years of Weight Watchers.  Did I just make my very first WW friend???

For more inspiration, I took my niece with me to my friend's pool party.  It ended up only being a few ladies I know from work, which was fine by me.  I had not intended to go to a pool party when I left the house and live so far away from the city that going back home to change before going to her place was incredibly unfeasible.  So, I went to the pool in my jeans and quarter length sleeved top.  Me and my 357 pound self.  And of course, they are all in their sexy swimsuits with their normal sized bodies.  I'm glad I went.  I had a good time.  The sunshine did me a lot of good, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel terribly out of place.

However (and there's always a however)....it really did inspire me.  I want to be one of them next summer.  In my bathing suit (probably with some lengthy board shorts on, let's be honest), hanging out in the pool, feeling like a girl instead of like a blob.

Eating wise, I did pretty well that day.

The next day, more inspiration hit.  I needed to update my iTunes playlist with songs that had motivated me in previous years, so I spent about an hour doing that before heading out for a 30 minute walk (in the sweltering Texas heat, no less).

Now...I've been pretty worried about getting back into outdoors walking because this same time last year, I was walking everyday and my back got all kinds of fucked up.  I don't know if the walking was the cause or a catalyst or completely unrelated.  But during my walk, I noticed my back aching in the same way it had last summer.  I'm going to continue to walk and exercise, but I'll keep an eye on it for sure!

I got home and did some gentle yoga poses and stretches to help my back and plan on incorporating this everyday.

The music was a really great motivator and I was kicking myself for not thinking about it before!  I came home sweaty and exhausted, but I felt so amazing.  My mood was boosted tremendously after about a week of feeling pretty depressed.  Sunshine and exercise are such great anti-depressants.

My goal for the next couple of days is to keep walking in the morning followed by stretching and then an indoor video-type workout in the evenings.  The next couple of days will be hard and I'm helping my sister move and unpack and will be staying there with her a day or two, followed by my niece's fourth birthday party!  But I will definitely fit in some fitness whenever I can.