Thursday 8 March 2012

With a little help from my friends

Dieting is all about small steps. It doesn't matter whether you have a lot to lose like I do, or a smaller amount, like Mr Bee, it's hard work. It requires dedication, will power, encouragement and positive thought. I am lucky. I have a great support network around me of family and friends, but not everyone has that.

Firstly I have Mr Bee (who has also lost a stone!) surely my biggest supporter. Since I do most of the cooking he also eats diet dinners (such a they are), and he has amazing strength when it comes to resisting the rubbish. Plus, he doesn't have half as much to lose as I do so he can afford to sneakily munch on a breadstick with hummus at the fridge before dinner more than I can. He is absolutely THE best thing for helping me. Without his support and motivation I could not do this.Friends are crucial.

My friends are being hugely generous with their well dones on Facebook, but special mention has to go to my Fatbusting Buddy, Gayle. She started her SW journey a week or two before me and is doing great. It is fantastic having someone to text during the week and on weigh in night, which is the same time on a Wednesday for us, just at different classes. We share recipes and tea ideas and suggestions, which is really what it's all about. There are a few of us at work (including Gayle) who are dieting at the moment, all doing brilliantly. In my office Sharon, Suzy and Nicola are all looking fabulous and just having people around you who are achieving makes a massive difference. I have a Facebook group too which is about 30 girls from a birth board I am on from when I had Megan. We all have things in common - year old babies, dieting. Again, it's somewhere else to share highs and lows, somewhere else to ask advice and share tips. The Slimming World Facebook page and also Slimming World (unofficial) group offer further support and there's always someone who knows how many syns, or why, or what.

Finally, Group and Image Therapy. This is the group session after weigh in. In the past I have found Image Therapy a depressing affair but this time I am finding it motivating. This is partly down to my consultant, Lynn, and partly down to the others in the group, who are friendly and welcoming and more than prepared to share cooking and shopping tips and ideas. To be honest though I think my attitude towards Image Therapy is the biggest thing. Reading other people's positive experiences in the magazine (which I highly recommend to any SWers) and online, and then hearing them in class is so inspiring. As are the achievement stickers, one for slimmer of the week, another for each half stone, a little jingle of the bell for each half stone lost. It's small things but it really gives a buzz, and then you go home after a Image Therapy feeling buoyed and enthused for the week again.

In a nutshell this is a thanks for all the support I've had so far and all the support I'm going to need throughout the rest of this journey.

4 comments:

  1. Well done Gemma! It sounds like you're doing an amazing job so far x

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  2. Sold I will be joining you on this journey. If you'll have me lol xx

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  3. Way to go, you are doing amazing. x

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