I guess I should explain the title of my blog. At my second Weight Watcher’s meeting, our topic was the journey of weight loss. The leader likened the journey of weight loss to the process of a cucumber becoming a pickle (my fellow southerners will understand.) The point is that loosing weight is a gradual process. It takes the right ingredients (the four way approach of attending meetings, thinking first, move more, and eat wisely) for a cucumber to become a pickle. Whenever I get frustrated that I’m not loosing quickly enough, I just remember that I’m in the process of becoming a pickle. I’m not there yet, but eventually, I’ll become a pickle!

Here’s my story: I joined Weight Watchers on May 10, 2007 at my all time high of 262 pounds. I had attempted Core on-line in 2005 and hated it. The one meeting I attended then was about Bites, Licks and Tastes (BLTs) and one woman asked whether you had to count something if you spit it out. I was shocked that these people were resorting to boarderline bulemia to loose weight. (The leader did have the correct response to count it, so you might as well swallow it, which would discourage the spitting technique, but I was put off by it none-the-less.) I convinced myself that Weight Watchers was a cult that I would not join–I could do it on my own. (Boy, was I wrong!)

My mom has lost 57 pounds since November 2006 on Weight Watchers, which had really inspired me to take some action. This summer, I decided that my attempts to do it on my own weren’t working. In summer 2006, I had vowed to myself that I would not return to the beach with my family still embarassed to be in a swim suit, a promise I was breaking with only two months to the trip. It was time to give Weight Watchers another try. I went to the beach 11.6 pounds lighter that year, by next year–maybe a bikini!

I’ve lost 24.4 pounds since May 10th. I’m to the point now where I have drank the Kool-Aide (and it’s sugar-free!) I’m even blogging about my experience! I’ve learned so much about myself and how to be a healthier me: mind, body, and soul. I have realized that I am worth the effort to loose weight and be healthier. I have learned that my happiness is not tied to the number on the scale, but on my outlook on the future. I’ve learned that healthy food can be quite tasty. I’ve learned that gradual changes in my lifestyle are not only do-able, but also get the results I want.

My plan is to loose as much weight as I can before next fall, which is my 29th birthday. At that point, I want start trying to get pregnant. I’ll keep on program until I do become pregnant. When that magical time happens, my OB/GYN said I only need to add 300 calories (which I’m guessing is approximately 6 points.) Hopefully, I won’t gain much (or any, depending on my weight when I do become pregnant.) I plan to continue to journal and count points so it’s not as hard to jump back on the bandwagon when the bundle of joy arrives. Then post baby, it will be right back on program to continue my journey toward being a pickle!

This new path I’ve chosen seems so much more promising than my previous path. Before, I was destined to be one of those “Obese Americans” they show on news programs with the black bar across their eyes. (Who knows, I might have been and just don’t know it!) It is amazing that you can determine your own destiny by the choices you make. I’m so happy that I’ve chosen this path. I am hoping this blog will help me journal my thoughts and feelings on this journey and maybe help others who read it and are experiencing the same things.