I've Got 2 Gold Stars!!

I just got home from my 7th Weight Watchers meeting about an hour ago and wanted to share my good news...I reached my 10 pound mark at this weigh-in! :) Woo-hoo; yay me! I'd been waiting to post about this new journey I'm on 'til I had something particularly exciting to share, so that's why perhaps this is the first time you've heard me mention Weight Watchers. It hasn't been easy--who knew I'd be an emotional eater when I grew up, on top of already loving food?!--but I am determined to make this weight-loss approach work, and by that I mean keeping it off! I lost some weight a year ago before our cruise, but by the end of 2007, I'd gained it all back and plus a bit more, I believe. SO depressing! Just before the holidays, I found out that the city was trying to start a Weight Watchers branch here in our 'tiny town', so I began to seriously consider it--including going to the informational meeting they had to see if there was officially enough interested to start a group. My sister Jeanine has had success with Weight Watchers in the past...and most recently, my friend Rachel lost over 85 pounds in 13 months! (I told her that I want her to be my 'Weight Watchers mentor'!) :) Thankfully, they didn't begin the meetings until January 22nd, so I could pig out if I wanted around the holidays or when I was feeling down after the start of 2008. :) And the 2nd weigh-in/meeting didn't count because the scale was all screwy (said I lost 17.4 pounds in 1 week; I don't think I would've even had that kind of a number if I was on The Biggest Loser!) due to the old floors of the city office building. So, maybe I can actually claim that I've lost 10.4 (to be exact) pounds in 6 weeks! Ha! :) Anyway, though I've had more than a few slip-ups, I am pleased with how it's been going and how I've been feeling since I started the program. I feel more in control, more healthy (physically & emotionally), and more confident!! I've definitely felt discouraged and frustrated at times, but not as much as I think I would've without the support of Weight Watchers. Oh, in case you're wondering, I count points (there is another plan you can choose, if you want) which sometimes is a pain, but it's been good for me--and it's getting easier the longer I do it. I've also been exercising the majority of the past six weeks, which I know has helped me, especially on those days that I don't stick to my points! :) I've also occasionally felt like I must be pathetic because I'm resorting to paying money to lose weight, but oh well! There have been several times when I wished the weight was coming off faster, but my friend Heather told me the slower it comes off, the more likely it'll stay off, so I've been repeating that mantra for the past week. Plus, I've been trying to direct my thoughts toward a more positive path...I can beat myself up so badly too often! ...So, tonight I got my 2nd 'gold star with a 5 on it'--every 5 pounds you lose you get one of these stickers to put on a bookmark they give you at your very 1st mtg. As trivial and ridiculous as it might sound, I've come to feel like a young kid at school when I get to raise my hand to let the leader know I have earned another star! :) ......Well, that's my story, as random and disconnected as it might be!! :) I'll keep posting periodically to share how many more gold stars I've received...and stay tuned to find out what other nifty rewards I get as I keep movin' along on this journey! :) ...(Oh, if you have any questions for me, feel free to email/call me and ask them.)