Motivated by her retirement date in sight, my mom has been focusing hard on her health over the past 3 months. With plans to relocate to Hilton Head so she can spend more time with her grandchildren, she is driven to have the energy to enjoy her time with them. Signing on to a new corporate wellness program with her company, she has found support, encouragement, accountability, and easy access to information and activities that has helped her along the way.This past Friday she was scheduled for her weekly weigh in. She had informed me earlier in the week that she thought she was on target to receive acknowledgment for 3 milestone goals - 5 pound star, a 25-pound charm, and her first 10% mark. She's admitted that it's been challenging for her to recognize each weekly 1/2 pound or 1 1/4 pound weight loss as progress, so needless to say she was looking forward to these with much anticipation.
When Friday finally came, a 3-pound loss for the week earned her 2 of the 3 milestones (only 0.8 pounds from earn her 10% mark). Overall, she still felt proud about her success.... That is, until she met with the wellness consultant. You see, the week's activity was to review her personal food log and review the areas that need improvement in terms of following the nutrition plan. She was told that she was supposed to be getting 2 teaspoons of healthy oils in daily, and that she would not lose weight unless she followed the plan exactly as written. Aside from the fact that this is a misguided statement (that's another blog in itself), my mom came from the discussion now focused on what she was doing "wrong." Forget the fact that she's eating more fruits and vegetables daily than she has in 2 years... Or that she is now doing a combination of walking, using a pedometer, biking, and attending Zumba when she's been sedentary for years... Or that her doctor took her off her blood pressure medication... Or that she can now discuss her weight and her actions around food without tears involved....No! Talk about poor timing! It broke my heart. Luckily she's heard me ramble enough about the successes some of our guests have had that she moved past it and accepted the challenge of getting in some healthy oils.
Lesson learned - it is imperative to celebrate your small successes. While it is important to review your plan and make adjustments when needed to continue your success, do not dismiss the opportunity to acknowledge the changes you have made. That 10% mark is a BIG deal, and it doesn't come every week, so it is absolutely critical to treat it as noteworthy. Congratulations Mom!!!
No matter how big or small... Share your most recent success with us and motivate another to stay the course.
Your mom should be nothing but proud of her progress, and thank goodness she didn't let the misinformation she received slow her down or get her off track. Every little bit of better nutrition, more movement, does so much good. Hats off to your mom (and to mine, who also takes such good care of herself at age 83!). I have no doubt your mom will achieve and exceed all of her healthy goals.
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